House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries just got some bad news about his aspirations to become Speaker of the House in the future.
Apparently, the new wave of younger, progressive Democrats running for congress don’t want him. Jeffries isn’t radical enough for them, and he isn’t fighting against the Trump administration hard enough to suit them.
Axios just reported Thursday:
Dozens of Democrats running for U.S. House seats across the country told Axios they either wouldn’t vote for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) as party leader or declined to commit to doing so.
Why it matters: Jeffries has enjoyed the unanimous support of his caucus since becoming Democratic leader in 2022. That may no longer be the case next Congress amid growing grassroots frustration toward his leadership, particularly on the left.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has been a magnet for criticism from Democratic activists this year, but Jeffries is emerging as another prominent target.
By the numbers: Axios reached out to virtually every Democrat running for a House seat that could conceivably be won by a Democrat in 2026, with 113 responding in phone interviews or written answers.
Of those, 20 said they wouldn’t vote for Jeffries as speaker or minority leader, with five more saying they were likely to vote against him.
Another 57 candidates declined to commit to supporting Jeffries — saying it was premature to do so, citing ideological differences or outlining perceived flaws in strategy, messaging or leadership they want to see addressed.
Only 24 said they would definitely vote for Jeffries, with another seven saying they would likely do so.
In their report, Axios listed multiple Democrat candidates, most of them young progressives and Democrat socialists, (several who were born to immigrant parents,) who say if they win their election, they wouldn’t back Jeffries as their leader.
Many of those who are refusing to support Jeffries are angry that he has so far refused to endorse the Muslim Democrat Socialist Zohran Mamdani, who is running for New York City mayor.
Heath Howard, a New Hampshire state rep who is running for U.S. Congress, said, “I think we need to have a new type of leadership that’s … going to fight back significantly harder against the Trump administration.”
Kat Abughazaleh, only 26, a progressive journalist and social media influencer whose father is a Palestinian immigrant, said she will support a leader who is “taking actual action against this administration” and suggested liberals should use “our leverage to demand progressive change.”
Abughazaleh is one of the Democrats running to succeed retiring Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.).
Scoop: Dozens of Democratic House candidates won’t commit to backing Hakeem Jeffries https://t.co/R2IXGXvznv
— Axios (@axios) October 16, 2025
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