House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., is officially running to be speaker of the House in the next Congress, following historic Democratic gains in Tuesday night's midterm elections that handed the party control of both the House and Senate for the remainder of President Donald Trump's term.
Jeffries made his intentions known in a letter sent to fellow House Democrats on Wednesday afternoon, congratulating them on their victories and writing, "I write to humbly request your support in connection with my candidacy to serve as the next Speaker of the House of Representatives."
He also confirmed his plans to reporters during a Wednesday press conference alongside his top deputies, House Minority Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., and House Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar, D-Calif. Clark and Aguilar signaled they would seek the No. 2 and No. 3 positions in the House, respectively.
Although a small group of far-left socialists elected to Congress is expected to pose a headache for Jeffries and other establishment Democrats, he will likely face little trouble securing the speaker's gavel given the size of the majority his party won on Tuesday.
As of Wednesday, Democrats were projected to win 237 House seats compared to 139 for Republicans, with 59 races still too close to call. Jeffries told reporters he anticipated a total of 255 or more Democrats in the House next year.
In his lengthy letter to colleagues, Jeffries highlighted past victories and laid out his vision for the next two years, pledging to "try to find bipartisan common ground whenever and wherever possible" on affordability while faulting Republicans over the high cost of living.
"Donald Trump and House Republicans promised to lower costs on Day One. They failed. Instead, toxic GOP policies like the Trump tariffs and war in Iran have done the exact opposite," he wrote.
Jeffries also promised "accountability" for the Trump administration, writing that the House "will assume its place as a check and balance on an out-of-control executive branch." He indicated Democrats would move to undo Republicans' Medicaid cuts, extend the enhanced Obamacare tax credits that expired at the start of this year, and end Trump's war in Iran.
"Finally, we must restore classic American values like liberty and justice for all, equal protection under the law, the unfettered right to vote in a representative democracy and our heritage as a nation of immigrants," Jeffries wrote, adding that he looks forward to drawing on every part of the caucus in the days and weeks ahead. "House Democrats must deliver dramatic change."
House Democrats are scheduled to hold their leadership elections in mid-December. On the Republican side, House Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., are set to compete for the role of minority leader in the next Congress.
