NYC IN THE HOUSE? Rep. Hakeem Jeffries launches bid to replace Pelosi as Dem leader

Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries in March 2022
Rep. Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries in March 2022. Photo credit Alex Wong/Getty Images

NEW YORK (1010 WINS/WCBS 880) -- Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, who represents parts of Queens and Brooklyn in Congress, announced his bid Friday to replace Nancy Pelosi as the Democratic leader of the House.

Jeffries, 52, would be the first Black lawmaker to lead a party in Congress if he’s elected by House Democrats, which is expected to happen, according to the Washington Post.

Jeffries made the announcement in a four-page letter to colleagues.

The Republicans will control the House after the 2022 Election, so Jeffries would be minority leader if elected. Another Brooklyn Democrat, Sen. Chuck Schumer, will remain the Senate majority leader.

Jeffries, a member of the Progressive Caucus, represents New York's 8th Congressional District, which encompasses a swath of Brooklyn and Queens that includes neighborhoods like Fort Greene, Bedford-Stuyvesant, Coney Island and Howard Beach.

Pelosi, 82, announced Thursday that she will not seek a leadership position in the new Congress after nearly two decades in power. It came just weeks after her husband, Paul Pelosi, was attacked with a hammer at the couple's San Francisco home by an intruder who authorities said was looking for the House speaker.

Outgoing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, of California, greets Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, of New York, after speaking in the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, on Nov. 17, 2022
Outgoing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, of California, greets Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, of New York, after speaking in the House Chamber at the U.S. Capitol in Washington, DC, on Nov. 17, 2022. Photo credit OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP via Getty Images
Featured Image Photo Credit: Alex Wong/Getty Images