‘Playing the long game’: Nancy Pelosi’s heir apparent Hakeem Jeffries set to make history

In 2007, Nancy Pelosi made history when she became the first woman elected Speaker of the US House of Representatives.

Fifteen years later, Pelosi paved the way for another lawmaker to make history, when she announced her intention to step aside as the top Democrat in the House and said it was time “for a new generation to lead the Democratic caucus”.

The next day, Pelosi, 82, gave her explicit endorsement to Hakeem Jeffries, the New York congressman 30 years her junior who had long been seen as her heir apparent.

“A new day is dawning — and I am confident that these new leaders will capably lead our caucus and the Congress,” Pelosi said.

Jeffries appears to be on a smooth path to become the next House Democratic leader — and the first person of colour to lead a political party in either chamber of Congress. House Democrats will hold leadership elections next week, and so far none of his colleagues have said they will challenge him for the top job.

Allies such as Josh Gottheimer, the Democratic congressman from New Jersey, say that is a testament to Jeffries’ efforts to build consensus with his colleagues, first as a rank-and-file member of Congress and later as chair of the House Democratic caucus.

“I would say his number one objective is always unity, unifying the caucus, which is not always easy,” Gottheimer said. “He takes a very patient, even, pragmatic approach, really looking at the long game.”

Jeffries was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York, where his mother was a social worker and his father was a substance abuse counsellor. He attended local state schools and studied at the State University of New York at Binghamton, before earning a masters degree from Georgetown University.

After law school at New York University, he joined Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison, one of New York’s top law firms, where he stayed for six years before becoming an in-house litigator for Viacom and CBS.

After two unsuccessful attempts, he was elected to the New York state legislature in 2006. Six years later, he was elected to Congress, representing New York’s eighth congressional district, which spans parts of Brooklyn and Queens. Six years after that, he was elected by Democratic colleagues to chair the House Democratic caucus — a high-profile job that put him in Pelosi’s inner circle.

In January 2020, the Speaker tapped him as one of seven impeachment managers, who acted as prosecutors in Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial. The role propelled him to the national stage, notably when the congressman invoked another Brooklynite — rapper Notorious B.I.G. — in response to a question from one of Trump’s defence attorneys.

“We are here, sir, because President Trump corruptly abused his power and then he tried to cover it up,” Jeffries said at the time. “We are here, sir, to follow the facts, apply the law, be guided by the Constitution, and present the truth to the American people . . . and if you don’t know, now you know.”

While Democrats did better than expected in this month’s midterm elections, they nevertheless fell sort of holding on to a majority in the House. That means that even though Jeffries is on course to succeed Pelosi in leading his party in the lower chamber of Congress, he is unlikely to seize the Speaker’s gavel for at least two years.

In a letter to colleagues announcing his leadership bid, Jeffries said his “top non-governmental priority” would be “retaking the majority in November 2024”. But he cautioned that in order to do that, Democrats would need to rally around their common cause.

“House Democrats will be locked in a fierce governmental, political and messaging struggle,” Jeffries said. “Our caucus must unify with purpose, communicate with discipline, legislate with precision and partner with the Biden administration to vigorously address the continuing challenges impacting our constituents.”

That may be easier said than done. Like Pelosi, Jeffries will need to contend with an increasingly vocal progressive wing of the Democratic party, including the so-called Squad.

Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, the New York congresswoman, has so far not endorsed Jeffries’ candidacy, telling The New York Times there is “healing that needs to be done in our caucus”. Ocasio-Cortez, who was first elected to Congress in 2018 after ousting fellow Democrat Joe Crowley, has reportedly considered backing a similarly progressive primary challenger to Jeffries in the past.

Recommended

“It really remains to be seen whether Jeffries is capable of leading a coalition that includes a rising progressive wing of the party,” said Max Berger, a progressive Democratic strategist who previously worked for Justice Democrats, a group that helped elect Ocasio-Cortez.

Berger pointed to Jeffries’ work with Gottheimer — one of the most conservative Democrats on Capitol Hill — to set up Team Blue PAC, a fundraising vehicle to protect incumbent Democrats from primary challengers. “In the past, he has really taken great pains to go after the progressive wing and to try to limit its rise and to oppose its members,” Berger said.

Progressives have sought to paint Jeffries — who is part of the Congressional Progressive Caucus — as a member of the establishment, noting that many of his biggest campaign contributions have come from Wall Street. According to OpenSecrets, the top industries that have funded his campaign arm in the past two years are securities and investment and the pro-Israel lobby, followed by real estate and law firms.

But Jeffries’ supporters brush off the criticism.

Grace Meng, the Democratic congresswoman from New York who has worked with Jeffries on Capitol Hill and in the New York state legislature, said: “Of course, there are critics. There will be people that will say he is not progressive enough. There will be people who will say he is not moderate enough. But if you take a look at the members and what they are saying, and what they are not saying, I think he has very broad support.”

Kathleen Rice, an outgoing Democratic congresswoman from New York, agreed, noting that unifying the Democratic caucus “would be hard for whoever the leader is”.

“We have a very diverse, as they always say, ‘big tent’ party, and we have had some family squabbles outside of the house, more public than most,” Rice said. “But at the end of the day, we always come together.”

No Byline Policy

Editorial Guidelines

Corrections Policy

Source