WASHINGTON — As Rep. Hakeem Jeffries prepares to take the gavel as the first Black speaker of the House, a persistent revolt from his party’s progressive flank has reached a symbolic milestone.
An online Change.org petition launched in September demanding an alternative to the Brooklyn Democrat has collected 1 million signatures, CNN reported. The petition argues that the 56-year-old lawmaker is not the right person to lead House Democrats in the new Congress, reflecting sustained frustration from progressive activists over his cautious posture, corporate fundraising and steadfast backing of Israel.
A growing divide on the left
Jeffries has long been a lightning rod for the activist left. Radio host Charlamagne tha God mockingly labeled him “AIPAC Shakur,” playing on his well-known fondness for hip-hop, while outside groups have protested his ties to political action committees and corporate donors.
Earlier this year, Brooklyn City Councilman Chi Ossé weighed a primary challenge against Jeffries before standing down at the urging of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. At a subsequent victory party for Democratic Socialists of America-backed Rep.-elect Claire Valdez, attendees chanted “You’re next!” as Jeffries appeared on a screen, prompting the leader to note in a CNN interview that the crowd had “almost zero diversity.”
Jeffries has regularly dismissed criticism that his strategy is too cautious or disconnected from the party’s grassroots base, pointing instead to the results on the scoreboard. He likened his situation to the New York Knicks winning their first championship in 53 years, telling CNN, “My track record speaks for itself.”
Centrist strategy yields a sweeping majority
Democrats decisively regained the majority in Tuesday’s midterm elections, leaving Jeffries in position to preside over a conference of at least 255 members, if not more, once all ballots are tabulated, New York Magazine reported.
Jeffries credited the victory to recruiting moderate candidates tailored to competitive districts, including veterans, farmers and prosecutors. In Kentucky’s 6th Congressional District, veteran Zach Dembo flipped a seat Donald Trump carried by 15 points in 2024. Centrists also prevailed in critical battlegrounds across New Jersey, Ohio and suburban New York, where decorated combat veteran Cait Conley unseated Republican Mike Lawler.
The commanding scale of that majority sharply limits the leverage of any progressive dissenters. Even incoming left-wing members who previously clashed with leadership have signaled they will back him on the floor. Michigan Rep.-elect Will Lawrence, a co-founder of the Sunrise Movement who previously belonged to the Democratic Socialists of America, confirmed he will vote for Jeffries to maintain party unity, telling CNN that “politics is full of contradictions.”
Bracing for battle with the White House
Jeffries will step into the speakership as arguably the most influential Democrat in Washington, positioning him as the primary counterweight to Trump.
The two men have not spoken since an Oval Office session in September 2025, and neither reached out to the other following Tuesday’s election, CNN reported. Jeffries has also had no direct contact with incoming White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, whom he previously characterized as a “malignant tumor.”
Instead, Jeffries has conferred with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer on strategies to box in the administration on affordability issues. He cited a bipartisan housing measure enacted in July as a potential blueprint, noting that public pressure compelled Trump to allow it to become law without a signature.
House Democrats are scheduled to formally organize in the coming weeks, ahead of the official floor vote for speaker when the new Congress convenes in January.
