Hakeem Jeffries, Pete Aguilar headline new Democratic leadership

The House Democratic leadership that has been in power for decades is stepping down. It is also endorsing Reps. Hakeem Jeffries, N.Y., Katherine Clark, Mass., and Pete Aguilar, Calif., to fill its shoes in the hopes of having a smooth transition. 

“In the 118th Congress, House Democrats will be led by a trio that reflects our beautiful diversity of our nation. Chair Jeffries, Assistant Speaker Clark and Vice Chair Aguilar know that, in our Caucus, diversity is our strength and unity is our power,” Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif, said in a statement. “A new day is dawning — and I am confident that these new leaders will capably lead our Caucus and the Congress.”

The outgoing Democratic Whip, Rep. James Clyburn, S.C., also expressed his support for the trio, and Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, Md., said Jeffries should be his successor. Hoyer’s also stated he would remain as a resource and assist in any way possible.

“I am proud to offer my strong endorsement to Hakeem Jeffries for Democratic Leader, a role in which he will make history for the institution of the House and for our country. He is a skilled and capable leader who will help us win back the Majority in 2024 as we strive to continue delivering on our promises to the American people,” Hoyer wrote in a letter to the Democratic caucus.

So who are House Democrats’ next generation leaders?

Rep. Jeffries, who officially declared his candidacy to be the next Democratic leader Friday, is the caucus chairman. Jeffries has represented Brooklyn in Congress since 2013. The NYU Law School graduate served as a House impeachment manager in the first Senate trial of Donald Trump. He worked his way up the congressional ladder as whip of the Congressional Black Caucus and co-chair of the Democratic Policy Communications Committee.

Rep. Clark is the Assistant Speaker to Pelosi, but is on track to be the next whip. She’s a member of the House Progressive Caucus. Before entering Congress, she was both a senator and representative in the Massachusetts state legislature. If she secures the whip position, she’d be the number two, responsible for building support for legislation and getting bills passed.

Rep. Aguilar is the vice chair of the Democratic caucus and the highest ranking Latino in Congress. He is a member of the Jan. 6 investigative committee and the House Appropriations Committee. Aguilar would be the caucus chair, responsible for developing policy priorities.