Congressman Hakeem Jeffries launched his candidacy for Democratic leader of the US House of Representatives on Friday, a day after House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced she was stepping down as the party’s leader.

Hakeem JeffriesPhoto: CQ-Roll Call / ddp USA / Profimedia

“I am writing to humbly ask for your support for the leadership of the Democrats in the House of Representatives as we once again prepare to face this moment,” Jeffries said in a message released by his office, according to Agerpres.

If Hakeem Jeffries, 52, who represents a district in Brooklyn, New York, wins the Nov. 30 election, as expected, he will become the first black Democratic leader of the lower house of Congress.

He fits the preferences of many elected Democrats, who believe that Nancy Pelosi’s successor should represent a new generation of leaders.

In fact, Pelosi herself, 82, expressed her confidence in Jeffries in a statement released immediately after his announcement, calling it “the dawn of a new day.”

No other candidates have been announced for the November 30 vote. Current House Democratic Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, 83, also announced Thursday that he will step down in the new legislature, which begins in January and will have a Republican majority in the House, after the Nov. 8 election “from the midterms.” “.

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