Hakeem Jeffries declares bid for House speaker after GOP’s midterm massacre

Hakeem Jeffries has formally asked House Democrats to support his bid to become Speaker in the next Congress, after the party’s strong midterm results put it on course to retake the House. His candidacy comes as Democrats prepare to set their leadership team and take control of the chamber for the rest of Donald Trump’s term.

Democrats were projected to win 237 seats to Republicans’ 139, with 59 races still undecided; Jeffries said he expected his party to reach at least 255 seats. Katherine Clark and Pete Aguilar signalled bids for the next two leadership posts. Jeffries pledged to seek bipartisan agreement on affordability while promising oversight of the Trump administration and action on Medicaid cuts, healthcare tax credits and the war in Iran; House Democrats plan to elect their leaders in mid-December.