Speaker Hakeem Jeffries? Uncommitted Democrats and What They’ve Said

Newsweek · Joshua Rhett Miller · 2026-11-06 10:00 UTC

Hakeem Jeffries is set to become the nation’s first Black speaker of the House, but some newly elected Democrats aren’t convinced.

Hakeem Jeffries appears poised to become the nation's first Black speaker of the House, but some newly elected Democrats aren't convinced just yet.

Jeffries, 56, formally announced his candidacy to fellow lawmakers in a letter Wednesday, a day after Democrats flipped control of both the House and Senate after definitive victories in the 2026 midterm elections.

"Against all odds, House Democrats were consistently successful in the minority," Jeffries wrote. "We must now deliver the dramatic change the American people are demanding in the majority."

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