Who is House Speaker-designate Hakeem Jeffries?

Quick facts

• Born: August 4, 1970 (age 56), Brooklyn Hospital, New York City
• Known for: House Speaker-designate; first Black American ever to lead a party in either chamber of Congress; former House Minority Leader
• Heritage: Brooklyn-raised, working-class family; father Marland Jeffries, a substance-abuse counselor; mother Laneda Jeffries, a social worker
• Education: B.A. in political science (with honors), Binghamton University, 1992; M.P.P., Georgetown University, 1994; J.D. magna cum laude, NYU School of Law, 1997, where he served on the Law Review
• Career before Congress: Law clerk to Judge Harold Baer Jr., US District Court for the Southern District of New York; litigator at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison; litigation counsel for Viacom and CBS
• Congressional district: New York's 8th (Brooklyn and parts of Queens)
• In Congress since: 2013
• Family: Married to Kennisandra Arciniegas-Jeffries; two sons, Joshua and Jeremiah
• Brother: Hasan Kwame Jeffries, historian at Ohio State University

His story

Jeffries was born in Brooklyn Hospital, raised in Crown Heights and is a product of New York City's public school system, having graduated from Midwood High School. A member of Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity, he went on to earn a Master of Public Policy from Georgetown University and a Juris Doctor from NYU Law School, where he graduated magna cum laude and was on the law review.

After working in private practice as a corporate lawyer at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison and media companies Viacom and CBS, Jeffries decided to run for the New York State Assembly. Before his election to Congress, he served six years in the New York State Assembly where he authored laws to protect civil liberties, increase affordable housing and improve the civil court system, led the first meaningful reform of the NYPD's stop-and-frisk program, and championed legislation to end prison-based gerrymandering in New York State.

His elevation to speaker would represent the pinnacle of a nearly 14-year House tenure, a span that has seen Jeffries rise from a rank-and-file member focused on criminal justice policy to a top party lieutenant under former Black Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and then minority leader. In November 2022, his Democratic colleagues unanimously elected him House minority leader, making him the first African American to lead a party in either chamber of Congress.

How historic is it

Weeks later, at the start of the new Congress, the full House will vote to select the 57th Speaker since 1789. No Black lawmaker has ever held that office. Jeffries was also selected by Speaker Nancy Pelosi to serve as one of seven House Impeachment Managers in the Senate trial of President Donald Trump, becoming the first African American man to serve in that role.

His agenda

The Democrats' midterm win puts Hakeem Jeffries in line to become the first Black speaker of the US House of Representatives, with the dual challenge of opposing President Donald Trump while bridging the gap between his party's moderates and its more vocal progressives.

On the legislative side, the priorities are concrete. Jeffries has sketched out the pillars of a Democratic legislative platform: repealing Republican Medicaid cuts, restoring the Affordable Care Act, repealing Trump's tariffs and ending the Iran war. Democrats have established five working groups to tackle affordability as part of next year's agenda, in housing, healthcare, childcare, groceries, and gas and utilities.

On oversight, Democrats have signaled that they will pursue both a legislative agenda and an investigative track that they say aims to restore a congressional check and balance against the executive branch. Jeffries has stopped short of saying the House under his leadership would attempt to impeach Trump for a third time.

The balancing act

Jeffries, 56, is known as a consensus-builder within his caucus, in contrast to the top-down style of former Speaker Nancy Pelosi. That reputation is about to be tested hard. Newly elected progressives are "likely to come to Washington expecting to be able to change the universe starting on day one," said David Miller, professor of government at American University. Jeffries' challenge will be to temper those expectations "given that Democrats don't control the White House."

Pro-Israel groups are among Jeffries' biggest campaign contributors, and he has been cool toward proposals for a Medicare for All healthcare program, which many moderate Democrats fear will be too costly. Both of those positions create friction with the progressive wing, and managing that tension without breaking the majority will define his speakership before a single bill passes.

In his own words

"Today begins the great American comeback," Jeffries proclaimed in a victory speech late on Tuesday after media outlets projected the likelihood of Democratic majorities in the House and Senate.

"The American people have spoken and made clear that they've had enough of the extremism, enough of the corruption. They want a Congress that's going to deliver for the American people," Jeffries said.

"Day One plan is going to be to make sure we're going to be focused on healthcare, focused on driving down, right, the high price of groceries and gas and housing," Jeffries told ABC News ahead of the election.