A day after Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced she would step aside, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York launched a history-making bid Friday to become the first Black person to helm a major political party in Congress as leader of the House Democrats.
By MICHELLE L. PRICE and LISA MASCARO
“I write to humbly ask for your support for the position of House Democratic Leader as we once again prepare to meet the moment.” House Democrats will meet behind closed doors as a caucus in two weeks, after the Thanksgiving holiday, to select their members. So far, Jeffries, Clark and Aguilar have no stated challengers.
“He always seemed like a guy that was headed somewhere but was willing to pace himself to get there,” Sharpton said. “You meet a lot of people that are ambitious, that would do anything. You never got that impression from Hakeem.” His district includes the Black cultural hub of the Bedford-Stuyvesant neighborhood, home to Jackie Robinson and once represented by Shirley Chisholm, the first Black woman elected to Congress.
Growing up in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights neighborhood, Jeffries attended New York City public schools before graduating from the State University of New York at Binghamton, where he studied political science. He received a master’s in public policy from Georgetown University and a law degree from New York University.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
The Best New York Is Your New YorkIn bringing Fleishman Is in Trouble’s 2016 New York City to 2022 screens, taffyakner discovered how to avoid the nostalgia trap
Read more »
Hakeem Jeffries believed to be in the driver's seat to succeed Pelosi as Democratic leaderHouse Democratic Caucus Chair Hakeem Jeffries is believed to be the leading candidate to replace House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as Democratic leader after her decision to step down, which she announced from the well of the House Thursday.
Read more »
Hakeem Jeffries, Front-Runner to Succeed Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Forged Ties Across SpectrumThe former corporate lawyer, seen as a natural successor to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, started his political career as an insurgent, but has built key relationships with Democrats and Republicans.
Read more »
Hakeem Jeffries launches bid to replace Pelosi as top House DemocratHouse Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) has jumped into the race for Democratic leader after Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) declined to run for the top spot again.
Read more »