Democrats Install Hakeem Jeffries as Nancy Pelosi Successor, Becomes First Black Man To Lead a Party in Congress

Democrats, in a show of unity, on Wednesday elected Hakeem Jeffries to succeed Nancy Pelosi, becoming the first Black man to lead a party in Congress.

Left-wing lawmakers elected a new generation of leaders to take the mantle from the three octogenarians who have led Democrats for two decades. Skipping the vote, officials by acclamation elected Rep. Katherine Clark of Massachusetts as whip and Rep. Pete Aguilar of California as the chairman of the party caucus.

Democratic Leadership

The three Democrats, who have for years positioned themselves as an unofficial joint slate and patiently waited their turn, ran unopposed after Pelosi's announcement of her stepping down from her position.

While Rep. Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland, the majority leader, initially considered trying to remain in leadership and noted that he had enough support to do so, ultimately decided not to. On the other hand, Rep. Adam B. Schiff of California also considered a challenge to Jeffries but many officials said that he lacked the votes to pull off a victory, as per the New York Times.

Schiff told Jeffries last week that he was instead looking to run for Senate and wished the representative well in the upcoming leadership election, said a person familiar with the private conversation.

On Wednesday, inside the ornate committee hearing room across from the Capitol, where Democrats met to elect their new leaders, the mood was jubilant. Left-wing lawmakers chanted "We want Petey Pie!" as they nominated Aguilar while using a nickname that the official's grandmother gave him.

According to Fox News, Jeffries said that leadership was incredibly important and noted that they had an opportunity as diverse leaders to serve in positions of consequence. He added that the most meaningful thing they could do in that space was an incredibly good job.

Generational Change

Clark noted that effective leadership is founded not on individual ambition but on the collective good. She said that it was about listening and understanding what each member needs to be successful. The lawmaker noted that she would use her voice at the leadership table to bring people and solutions together.

Pelosi's announcement to step down came shortly after the Democratic party lost majority control of the House of Representatives during this year's midterm elections. The situation created the first open race for Democratic leader since Pelosi was appointed to the role in 2003.

Earlier this month, Pelosi said that for her, the time has come for a new generation to lead the Democratic caucus that she said she deeply respects. She also said that she was extremely grateful that there were so many ready and willing to shoulder the responsibility of leading the Democratic Party.

The three newly-elected leaders; Jeffries, Clark, and Aguilar, will lead a Democratic minority, the first in two terms, as the Republican Party holds the majority. Jeffries will represent a generational change from the current triumvirate of House Democratic leaders. In 2019, he became the chairman of the Democratic caucus, which made him the youngest member serving in leadership, CNN reported.