Hakeem Jeffries set to become US House speaker amid Democrats victory in midterm elections

Hakeem Jeffries is set to become the first black US House speaker after Democrats won the 2026 midterm elections, projected to control both chambers. Jeffries, a New York City representative, will preside over a majority sworn in January, replacing Republican control. He pledged to reverse Medicaid cuts and investigate Trump administration dealings, while facing challenges from far-left progressives over Israel support and Medicare for All.

The Democrats' midterm election win puts Hakeem Jeffries in line to become the first black speaker of the US House of Representatives. As speaker, Jeffries, representing a New York City congressional district, would preside over a majority sworn in the first week of January, taking control from Republicans who held the House for the past four years. Jeffries proclaimed in a victory speech late on Tuesday, "Today begins the great American comeback," after media outlets projected Democratic majorities in the House and Senate. He attacked the Trump-led Republican agenda, pledging to reverse steep spending cuts to Medicaid enacted on July 4, 2025. Jeffries said Democrats would investigate the Trump administration's dealings with corporate executives but stopped short of promising a third impeachment. The size of the Democratic majority remains unclear as votes are still counted. Jeffries faces challenges from far-left progressives like Representative-elect Darializa Avila Chevalier, who demands support for blocking offensive weapons to Israel and universal healthcare, while moderates resist leftward shifts. Jeffries is known as a consensus-builder and plans to focus on the "affordability crisis," with priorities including an expanded child tax credit, housing tax credit, ending the war in Iran, and protecting Social Security.