Hakeem Jeffries poised to become first Black House speaker after Democrats win majority

Democrats have secured control of the U.S. House, setting the stage for Jeffries to make history and lead a new era of congressional oversight of President Trump.

Democrats have won a majority of seats in the U.S. House of Representatives in Tuesday’s midterm elections, taking back control in Congress and sending a strong rebuke to President Donald Trump and the Republican Party.

The wins across the country also set up a likely imminent path for U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), the Democratic leader, to make history as the first Black American to become U.S. House Speaker.

Democrats are projected to have notched the needed 218 seats to take over power in the House, which comes with constitutional authority to subpoena and investigate within the federal government. The party is projected to win as many as 244 seats, according to NBC News.

As the House Democratic leader, Jeffries, a 56-year-old Brooklyn congressman known for his gift of gab and his love of hip-hop and sneakers, is almost sure to be elected by his party as the next speaker of the U.S. House. If Jeffries earns enough votes, he will become the first African American to hold the position in the legislative body’s 237-year history.

Jeffries will likely lead Democrats in crucial investigations of the Trump administration once the new Congress is sworn in on Jan. 3, 2027. Party members have already called for reeling in or looking into Trump and his family’s wealth ties to the presidency, the Epstein files, and the administration’s federal cuts to critical programs.

Democrats have vowed to end Trump’s war in Iran, which has driven up gas and energy prices, and to reverse historic cuts to Medicaid and assistance programs like SNAP.

In reaction to the history that likely awaits Jeffries, Democratic strategist Antjuan Seawright, an advisor to the Brooklyn Democrat, told theGrio, “He’s prepared for the moment.”

The close Jeffries confidant vowed, “He’s going to supersede expectations.” He continued, “There’s a reason why his caucus trusts him, and there’s no doubt in my mind that he will not take their trust and the trust of the American people for granted.”

History or not, the Democratic strategist told theGrio that Jeffries’ mission will remain the same, which he said is to “deliver on the promises he’s made to the American people, which is the Brooklyn way.” He added, “I just think that his steps have been ordered to be in this moment, and he’s going to deliver.”