Hakeem Jeffries of New York was elected leader of the Democrats in the House of Representatives in an internal vote of the party's lawmakers that took place on Capitol Hill.
Legislator Hakeem Jeffries won re-election as Democratic leader of the House of Representatives on Tuesday, receiving the support of his colleagues despite the party's inability to regain majority control of the lower house in the November 5 elections.
Jeffries, of New York, was elected during an internal vote by House Democrats, which took place on Capitol Hill. The majority of the Democratic leadership team is expected to be re-elected to the new Congress.
In line to become House speaker, Jeffries remains the highest-ranking black elected official in Congress, and the first to serve as party leader.
He did not reach the position to take over the gavel after the Republicans swept into power alongside President-elect Donald Trump, taking control of the White House, the Senate and the lower house.
Although the Democratic leader will be the party's nominee for House speaker, the gavel is expected to pass to Speaker Mike Johnson as Republicans continue to hold the majority into the new year.
Jeffries and the House Democratic leadership function as a team: a trio of leaders from the younger generation who took over when Speaker Emeritus Nancy Pelosi stepped down from the leadership two years ago.
Democratic Leader Katherine Clark of Massachusetts and Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar of California also won re-elections Tuesday.
House Democrats gained some seats in hotly contested regions, including Jeffries' home state of New York and in California. But they also lost seats elsewhere and failed to unseat some GOP incumbents, and overall there was little change in the House of Representatives.
Johnson's Republicans narrowly hold the majority: Their numbers decline in the new year as Trump has appointed three GOP lawmakers — Elise Stefanik, Mike Waltz and Matt Gaetz — to serve in his administration. Some must be confirmed by the Senate.