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Meet Hakeem Jeffries, the New York congressman likely to succeed Nancy Pelosi as House Democratic leaderhttps://www.businessinsider.in/politics/world/news/meet-hakeem-jeffries-the-new-york-congressman-likely-to-succeed-nancy-pelosi-as-house-democratic-leader/slidelist/95590449.cms2022-11-18T06:11:26+05:30

Meet Hakeem Jeffries, the New York congressman likely to succeed Nancy Pelosi as House Democratic leader

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John L. DormanNov 18, 2022, 06:11 IST

Meet Hakeem Jeffries, the New York congressman likely to succeed Nancy Pelosi as House Democratic leader — Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York.AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries is poised to succeed Speaker Nancy Pelosi as House Democratic leader next year.
If selected by members, Jeffries would become the first Black lawmaker to lead a party in Congress.

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Hakeem Jeffries was born and raised in Brooklyn.

Hakeem Jeffries was born and raised in Brooklyn. — Hakeem Jeffries.Facebook
US Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, 52, was born in Brooklyn and grew up in the Crown Heights neighborhood of the borough.
He earned a bachelor's degree in political science from the State University of New York at Binghamton, as well as a master's degree in public policy from Georgetown University.
He then earned a law degree from the New York University School of Law, where he served on the Law Review.

He served in the New York State Assembly from 2007 to 2012.

He served in the New York State Assembly from 2007 to 2012. — Hakeem Jeffries.Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images
Jeffries was first elected to the New York State Assembly in 2006, serving in office from 2007 to 2012.
While in office, he authored a bill, which was signed into law, doing away with the New York Police Department's stop-and-frisk database. It contained the names of individuals — most of them Black and Hispanic — who had been stopped by police.
In 2013, a federal judge ruled that New York's stop-and-frisk program was unconstitutional.

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His tenure in the House of Representatives began in 2013.

His tenure in the House of Representatives began in 2013. — Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York, right, alongside then-House Speaker John Boehner, left, and Jeffries' mother, Laneda, in January 2013.AP Photo/Charles Dharapak, File
Jeffries was first elected to a Brooklyn-based US House district in 2012 following the retirement of longtime Democratic congressman Ed Towns.
He was sworn into office in January 2013.

The lawmaker once took to the House floor to pay tribute to the Notorious B.I.G.

The lawmaker once took to the House floor to pay tribute to the Notorious B.I.G. — Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York.Alex Wong/Getty Images
In 2017, Jeffries paid tribute to Christopher Wallace — the Brooklyn-born rapper best known as the Notorious B.I.G. — on the House floor.
The congressman began by rapping the lyrics to the classic 1994 song "Juicy":
"It was all a dream / I used to read Word Up magazine/ Salt-N-Pepa and Heavy D up in the limousine / Hangin' pictures on my wall / Every Saturday Rap Attack, Mr. Magic, Marley Marl."
As a public official, Jeffries has long showcased his Brooklyn pride.

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He has chaired the House Democratic Caucus since 2019.

He has chaired the House Democratic Caucus since 2019. — House Democratic Caucus Chair Hakeem Jeffries, left, and Rep. Pete Aguilar of California.AP Photo/Mariam Zuhaib
Jeffries was selected by his fellow House Democrats to serve as caucus chair, assuming the position in January 2019.
His election to the role fueled heavy speculation that he was the favorite to succeed House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California upon her eventual departure as the leader of the party's caucus in the lower chamber.

Jeffries is widely viewed as the most likely successor to Pelosi.

Jeffries is widely viewed as the most likely successor to Pelosi. — Congressman Hakeem Jeffries.AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite
With Pelosi — the first female House speaker in US history — relinquishing her position as House Democratic leader after 20 years, Jeffries is widely viewed as the most logical successor to the Californian.
The party will hold a leadership vote for the 118th Congress later this month, but the congressman is seen as a frontrunner to lead the caucus, with Reps. Katherine Clark of Massachusetts and Pete Aguilar of California poised to become minority leader and minority whip, respectively, in rounding out a new generation of Democratic leaders in the House.

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