New York Congressman Hakeem Jeffries has been elected by House Democrats to be their new minority leader. He replaces California’s Nancy Pelosi, who’s held the job for two decades. The party also elected Katherine Clarke of Massachusetts and Pete Aguilar of California to the other top leadership positions.
Jeffries is the first African American to lead any major party in the U.S. Congress. The 52-year-old has inched his way up the Democratic leadership ladder since he was elected to Congress in 2012. But his profile rose to new heights during former President Donald Trump’s first impeachment trial.
Meanwhile, Republican Kevin McCarthy is vying to be the next speaker of the House. He’s been eyeing the job for roughly a decade. But members of his own party have made it clear that they won’t support him.