House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a Democrat from New York, has formally announced he is seeking to become Speaker in the next Congress.
The move follows major Democratic gains in Tuesday’s midterm elections, with the party projected to take control of both the House and Senate for the rest of President Donald Trump’s term.
In a letter to House Democrats on Wednesday, Jeffries congratulated members on their wins and asked them to support his bid for Speaker.
He had also told reporters he planned to run during a press conference alongside House Minority Whip Katherine Clark of Massachusetts and Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar of California. Clark and Aguilar indicated they would seek the party’s second- and third-ranking leadership posts.
A small group of progressive newcomers may challenge party leaders, but Jeffries is expected to have a relatively clear path to the speakership given Democrats’ projected majority.
At the time, Democrats were forecast to win 237 seats, compared with 139 for Republicans. Fifty-nine races remained undecided. Jeffries said he expected Democrats to hold at least 255 seats in the next Congress.
In his letter, Jeffries highlighted the party’s recent wins and described priorities for the coming two years. He said Democrats would look for bipartisan agreement on affordability where possible, while criticizing Republicans’ record on the cost of living.
“Donald Trump and House Republicans promised to lower costs on Day One. They failed,” Jeffries wrote, arguing that policies including Trump’s tariffs and the war in Iran had pushed costs in the opposite direction.
He also promised to hold the Trump administration accountable, saying the House would serve as a check on what he called an out-of-control executive branch.
Jeffries said Democrats would work to reverse Republican Medicaid cuts, extend enhanced Affordable Care Act tax credits that expired at the start of the year, and bring the war in Iran to an end.
He also called for protecting voting rights and equal treatment under the law, and reaffirmed the country’s tradition as a nation of immigrants. Jeffries said he intended to hear from members across the Democratic caucus, adding that the party needed to deliver significant change.
House Democrats are expected to hold leadership elections in mid-December.
Among Republicans, House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan of Ohio and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise of Louisiana are expected to compete for minority leader in the next Congress.
