Who Will Replace Nancy Pelosi As House Democratic Leader?

U.S. House Democratic Caucus Chair Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) speaks during a news conference following a House Democratic Caucus meeting at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., November 2, 2021. Reuters / EVELYN HOCKSTEIN

KEY POINTS

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn endorsed Rep. Hakeem Jeffries
Jeffries will become the first Black lawmaker to lead House Democrats if he is elected Speaker
Other contenders include Reps. Katherine Clark and Pete Aguilar

Democratic Representative Hakeem Jeffries is poised to succeed outgoing Speaker Nancy Pelosi as the leader of House Democrats, according to a report.

Pelosi, who is the first and only woman to lead the U.S. House, on Thursday announced she is stepping down from her leadership role after 20 years, adding that it is time "for a new generation to lead the Democratic caucus."

While Pelosi, 82, has not specified who she is supporting to replace her, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer and House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn — both of whom also announced they will be leaving their posts — endorsed Rep. Jeffries, D-N.Y., to be the next Democratic leader.

Jeffries, 52, was first elected as a representative in 2012. Since then, he has become chairman of the House Democratic Caucus. If elected by House Democrats in a Nov. 30 vote, Jeffries would also make history and become the first Black lawmaker to lead the party in Congress.

Jeffries, who is a descendant of enslaved people, is known for his sharp media skills and his ambition to address racial, social and economic injustice in the American community.

"I'm a Black progressive Democrat concerned with addressing racial and social and economic injustice with the fierce urgency of now. That's been my career, that's been my journey and it will continue to be as I move forward for however long I have an opportunity to serve. There will never be a moment where I bend the knee to hard-left democratic socialism," he told The Atlantic in August 2021.

Despite the endorsement Thursday, Jeffries has yet to formally announce his bid for Speaker of the House. Instead, he asked to celebrate "the historic nature of Speaker Pelosi" following her announcement, CNN reported.

Two other Democratic lawmakers are expected to fill the two spots out of the top three among House Democrats for the leadership. These two lawmakers are 59-year-old Rep. Katherine Clark, D-Mass., who currently serves as an assistant speaker, and 43-year-old Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., who has been heavily involved in immigration negotiations on Capitol Hill, according to ABC News.

Neither Clark nor Aguilar has said whether they will make a bid for the leadership position.