Pelosi is making her announcement a day after Republicans were projected to win back control of the House despite a stronger-than-expected showing by Democrats.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and House Majority Leader Steny H. Hoyer (D-Md.) announced that they would not seek leadership positions in the new Congress, opening the door for a younger generation of Democrats to guide the caucus. Both Pelosi, 82, and Hoyer, 83, said they would continue to represent their districts in Congress. The announcements come after Republicans were projected to win control of the House despite a stronger-than-expected showing by Democrats in the midterms.
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) is widely expected to become the next minority leader, marking another historic first. If elected by House Democrats, Jeffries, 52, would be the first Black person to lead a party in Congress. Pelosi is the party’s long-serving leader in the House and the first woman to hold the speakership.
Tennessee Rep. Tim Burchett became one of the few House Republicans to publicly congratulate House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) after her announcement on Thursday.
While other House Republicans were quick to mock the outgoing speaker after she said she would not seek congressional leadership in the next term, Burchett shared a message on Twitter commending Pelosi for her decision and wishing her the best.
“Congratulations to Speaker Pelosi on her historic career,” Burchett said on Twitter. “Although we don’t agree on anything, she’s always been kind to me, and she’d often ask about my daughter Isabel when we’d meet on the House floor.”
Former president Barack Obama honored House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s historic career Thursday after the longtime Democratic Party leader announced that she would not seek another term in leadership.
“Speaker Nancy Pelosi will go down as one of most accomplished legislators in American history — breaking barriers, opening doors for others, and working every day to serve the American people,” the former president tweeted. “I couldn’t be more grateful for her friendship and leadership.”
The first Black person elected president included a photo of his arm around the first woman elected House speaker as a display of their close working relationship.
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) is poised to succeed a history-making woman and make history of his own.
As Azi Paybarah reports, by stepping down as the top Democrat, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.) — the first woman to hold that position — is paving the way for Jeffries, the 52-year-old chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, to seek the job. If elected by House Democrats, Jeffries would become the first Black lawmaker to lead a party in Congress.
Jeffries, a lawyer, is from central Brooklyn, the epicenter of New York’s Democratic power. He is a self-described progressive who has forged relationships with Democratic establishment figures in Washington while navigating the ascending left in his backyard.
