Sewell nominates Hakeem Jeffries to serve as next Democratic leader

Congresswoman Terri Sewell on Wednesday nominated Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, of New York, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, to serve as the next Democratic leader in the House of Representatives.

During a Democratic Caucus meeting, Sewell and several of her colleagues placed the name of Hakeem Jeffries in nomination and spoke in support of his candidacy to succeed Speaker Nancy Pelosi as Democratic leader.

“I have gotten to know Hakeem Jeffries since he came to Congress in 2013, and I am confident that he is the right person to lead our caucus during this season of change,” Sewell said. “Hakeem Jeffries is a skillful strategist, a master communicator, a pragmatic progressive, a visionary legislator, a criminal justice reformer, a dogmatic defender of our Democracy, a bodacious bridge builder, and a fierce fighter for our families, children, veterans, dreamers, workers, and our seniors. I was proud to nominate him to be our next Democratic Leader and look forward to seeing him make history as the first African American to ever lead either party in the House!”

Jeffries has represented New York’s 8th Congressional District since 2013 and currently serves as chairman of the House Democratic Caucus. He is poised to become the first African American to lead either party in the House of Representatives.