Hakeem Jeffries poised to become first Black House Speaker

Representative Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., is positioned to become the first Black Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives following the Democratic Party’s projected victory in the November 2026 midterm elections.

A Brooklyn native, Jeffries has represented parts of Brooklyn in Congress since 2013 and assumed the role of House minority leader in 2022. His potential appointment would mark a significant milestone for Black representation in the federal government.

Before his tenure in Congress, Jeffries served in the New York State Assembly and practiced law, focusing on criminal justice reform. Notably, he worked on the bipartisan First Step Act during the first Trump administration, collaborating with Jared Kushner to reduce sentences for certain federal drug offenses. As Speaker, Jeffries would be second in the presidential line of succession, though he will face the challenge of navigating diverse factions within the Democratic Party, including moderates, progressives, and democratic socialists.