Hakeem Jeffries poised to make history as first Black speaker of the House
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House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries in Washington, Nov. 3, 2026 (Photo: REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries is poised to become the next speaker of the House and the first African American to hold the post, CNN reported on Nov. 4.
The 56-year-old New York lawmaker is set to make history as the first African American to serve as speaker of the House, commanding a larger majority caucus heading into the next legislative session than either of his two Republican predecessors.
Addressing cheering voters and campaign volunteers on the night of Nov. 3, Jeffries declared that the moment demands national unity over partisan division.
"Today begins the great American renewal... We are going to work tirelessly to deliver the transformative change that you deserve," Jeffries told the crowd gathered at election night headquarters, the Associated Press reported.
News outlets emphasized that Jeffries is on track to achieve the historic milestone once Democrats formally certify their majority control of the chamber and his colleagues convene to elect him to the post.
Republican Representative Mike Johnson has served as speaker of the House since October 2023.
According to preliminary vote tallies from the Associated Press, the Democratic Party maintains a decisive lead in midterm congressional races nationwide. In the Senate, Democrats have locked down at least 52 seats out of 100 to secure the upper chamber. In the House of Representatives, Democrats are on the verge of crossing the 218-seat threshold, now leading Republicans 204 seats to 123 as ballot counting progresses.
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