Jeffries Launches Bid for House Speaker After Democrats Win House and Senate in Midterms

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., formally launched his bid for Speaker of the House on Wednesday, a day after Democrats were projected to win majorities in both the House and Senate in the midterm elections. In a letter to Democratic colleagues, he wrote that he humbly requested their support for his candidacy. He announced the run at a press conference with Minority Whip Katherine Clark, D-Mass., and Democratic Caucus Chairman Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., who signaled they would seek the No. 2 and No. 3 posts. If elected, Jeffries would be the first Black speaker. The new majority will be sworn in the first week of January. In a Tuesday night victory speech, Jeffries pledged to reverse Medicaid cuts enacted July 4, 2025. On MS NOW's Morning Joe, he said Americans want results rather than retribution and that lowering costs is the priority, and he has said impeaching President Donald Trump is not.

Left-leaning outlets center on Jeffries himself. The New Republic leads with his Morning Joe remarks that voters do not want Democrats to get even, then argues in its own voice that impeaching Trump should not be ruled out. The New York Times offers a profile of Jeffries: his Brooklyn upbringing, his moderate and cautious nature and his taste for hip-hop references. Right-leaning outlets stress division and conflict. Fox News calls the result a midterm massacre, notes the Morning Joe comments, and says a small group of far-left socialists may trouble Jeffries but he will likely win the gavel easily. The Daily Mail leads with infighting and a petition, signed by nearly 400,000 people according to its headline and about 370,000 in its text, against Jeffries, shared by actor Mark Ruffalo. The sides agree on the win, the candidacy and the cost-of-living message. They differ on whether the story is a historic ascent with an agenda or a party facing internal opposition. Axios and The Hindu largely match the factual account but add the history-making angle and moderate-progressive tensions.