New bloc of Democrats won’t commit to Jeffries as speaker

The progressive wing of the Democratic Party’s incoming House class is stopping short of committing to House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) as the next speaker, signaling an early fight over the party’s direction after Democrats’ sweeping midterm election victories.

Several incoming lawmakers in the party’s progressive bloc have already faced pressure from constituents to withhold their support for Jeffries, whom they view as too closely aligned with the party’s centrist establishment. While Jeffries is the only Democrat to have announced a bid for speaker following his reelection, some of the party’s newest members are making clear that his leadership is not a foregone conclusion.