Democrat Rep. Hakeem Jeffries will take Nancy Pelosi’s spot when she steps down next year (though she will remain in Congress.)
Jeffries is the first Black American to hold this spot.
Vowing to ‘get things done,’ the 52-year-old faces a battle since the GOP holds a small majority in the House.
In contrast, The Republicans are struggling to elect a speaker. Representative Kevin McCarthy, the minority leader, is struggling to win the support he needs after disastrous midterms left the party with a razor-thin House majority for the next Congress.
In his acceptance speech, Jeffries said he hopes to “lead an effort that centers our communication strategy around the messaging principle that values unite, issues divide.”
He also praised the past leadership but said “more must be done to combat inflation, defend our democracy, secure reproductive freedom, welcome new Americans, promote equal protection under the law and improve public safety throughout this country.”