Following Democratic wins in the House and Senate in the midterm elections, a wave of calls and emails from progressive activists is pressuring House Democrats not to elect Hakeem Jeffries (NY-08) as Speaker, according to reporting from Axios.
One House member told Axios their office received “300-400” calls over two days. Another said they received “over 500” calls, and a third described the volume as “higher” than 500, telling Axios, “It’s our No. 1 issue, and it’s not close.”
A Democratic chief of staff said their office fielded “about 300” calls, adding, “Lots of people are saying make Jamie Raskin speaker.” Another House Democrat who reported receiving 300-400 calls said the surge appeared to stem from a Mark Ruffalo social media post and an accompanying Change.org petition.
Rep. Jamie Raskin (MD-08) is positioned to take over as chair of the House Judiciary Committee, a role that may make him less inclined to pursue the speakership.
The push against Jeffries follows a similar effort aimed at Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), where some incoming freshman senators have signaled they do not want Schumer to remain in his leadership post or have called for new Senate leadership — despite Schumer’s Senate Majority PAC having supported many of those same candidates during their campaigns.
Both Schumer and Jeffries are widely believed to still have sufficient votes within their respective caucuses to retain their leadership positions when the new Congress convenes.
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