Hakeem Jeffries

Hakeem Jeffries (born August 4, 1970, Brooklyn, New York, U.S.) is an American Democratic politician who serves in the U.S. House of Representatives (2013– ). The House minority leader from 2023, Jeffries is the first Black person to lead a major party in either house of Congress. In 2024 he comfortably won reelection against Republican challenger John Delaney.

Early life and education

Jeffries is the eldest of two sons born to Laneda (Gomes) Jeffries, a social worker, and Marland Jeffries, a substance-abuse counselor. The family lived in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights neighbourhood. Hakeem Jeffries attended the State University of New York at Binghamton (Binghamton University), where he received a bachelor’s degree in political science in 1992. Two years later he earned a master’s degree in public policy from Georgetown University in Washington, D.C. Jeffries then attended New York University’s law school, graduating in 1997. After clerking for Judge Harold Baer, Jr., of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York in 1997–98, Jeffries entered private legal practice.

Political career

In 2006 Jeffries ran successfully for the New York State Assembly and took office the following year. He was twice reelected to that body. In 2012 he ran for the U.S. House of Representatives. Securing broad support, Jeffries easily won the race to represent New York’s 8th congressional district, which includes parts of Brooklyn and the neighbouring borough of Queens. After taking office in 2013, he took particular interest in police and criminal justice reform. He introduced legislation calling for a federal ban on the police use of choke holds following the death of an unarmed Black man, Eric Garner, in July 2014. Garner had died after having a choke hold applied to him during his arrest on Staten Island. Jeffries also championed the First Step Act, which was signed into law in 2018. It aimed in part to improve conditions in federal prisons and to ensure that people convicted of federal crimes were sentenced in a fair and reasonable way. Jeffries served on both the House Judiciary and Budget committees. He was also a member of the Congressional Black Caucus.

In 2019 Jeffries became chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, a post that made him the fifth highest-ranking Democrat in the chamber. In that role he presided over races for other party leadership posts and helped set legislative priorities for the House Democrats. Toward the end of 2019 the House of Representatives impeached Republican Pres. Donald Trump over allegations that he had withheld aid to Ukraine in order to pressure the country into opening a corruption investigation into one of his political rivals, Democrat Joe Biden. (Biden ultimately defeated Trump in the 2020 presidential election.) The Senate impeachment trial was held in early 2020. Jeffries was one of seven lawmakers named by Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to serve as impeachment managers during the trial and present the House’s case against Trump. The appointment reflected the fact that Jeffries was an effective messenger, especially known for being highly quotable. Delivering part of the House managers’ closing arguments on February 3, he called for Trump’s removal from office, describing him as “a clear and present danger to our national security.” Two days later, however, Trump was acquitted by the Senate in an almost party-line vote.

The Republicans narrowly regained control of the House in the 2022 midterm elections. Pelosi subsequently announced that she would step down from the House Democratic leadership and that she would not pursue the role of minority leader in the new Congress. Jeffries quickly declared his candidacy for the post. A noted strategist and coalition builder, he ultimately ran unopposed, and on November 30, 2022, the House Democrats selected him to replace Pelosi as the party’s leader in the upcoming Congress. Jeffries officially became the House minority leader on January 3, 2023.

Personal life

Jeffries is married to Kennisandra Arciniegas-Jeffries, a social worker. The couple has two sons, and the family resides in Brooklyn.