Hakeem Jeffries appears poised to become the nation's first Black speaker of the House, but some newly elected Democrats aren't convinced just yet. Jeffries, 56, formally announced his candidacy to fellow lawmakers in a letter Wednesday, a day after Democrats flipped control of both the House and Senate after definitive victories in the 2026 midterm elections. "Against all odds, House Democrats were consistently successful in the minority," Jeffries wrote.
"We must now deliver the dramatic change the American people are demanding in the majority." The Democratic leader called upon colleagues to "act decisively" regarding issues of affordability, accountability and American values, including equal protection under the law and the right to vote in a representative democracy. "To that end, I look forward to drawing upon the insights and perspectives of every single part of the caucus in the days and weeks ahead," Jeffries' letter continued. "House Democrats must deliver dramatic change." But several progressive Democrats elected to the House on Tuesday have expressed reservations about the prospect of Jeffries as the next speaker, primarily citing criticism of his public opposition to President Donald Trump and his support of Israel.
Claire Valdez, a Democratic Socialist who will represent New York's 7th Congressional District, said she hasn't decided whether she'll support Jeffries, but believes the party will ultimately unify, the New York Daily News reported Thursday. Valdez, an ally of New York City Mayor Mamdani, hasn't spoken to Jeffries since Tuesday, but hopes Democrats will focus on affordability moving forward, she said. "We need to fight back to take control of our economy and our country," Valdez told the newspaper.
"It shows there is a real mandate from the American people." Valdez, a state assemblywoman who campaigned heavily on affordability and vowed to promote Mamdani's agenda in Washington, also predicted widespread unity among Democrats to improve healthcare and curtail the Trump administration's crackdown on undocumented immigrants. "We need to present a united voice and fight for real change," Valdez told the newspaper. Representative-elect Darializa Avila Chevalier, a field staffer for Mamdani's mayoral campaign who won New York's 13th Congressional District, has also stopped short of endorsing Jeffries.
She instead recently offered several policies the next speaker must prioritize, including voting rights reforms, public housing investments and to block offensive weapons to Israel. "I think this would be a really historic vote, and this would be a very historic moment — not just for myself, as it'll set the tone for the kind of representative I'll be for my district, but also for this country, where we're talking about having the first Black Speaker, right?" Chevalier told Vanity Fair last week. Chevalier, who confirmed she had recently met with Jeffries, also called for "bringing more power to Congress to take on Trump" when discussing the next possible House speaker.
"Reminding ourselves that Congress has the power of the purse," she told Vanity Fair on October 30. "Trump can't make all these threats around cuts to funding. It's Congress, right, that has the final say on that." Melat Kiros, a progressive Democrat who will represent Colorado's 1st Congressional District, has offered the clearest opposition to Jeffries replacing Republican Mike Johnson as House speaker, Axios reported in August.
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