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The removal of Nancy Pelosi from the Democratic leadership in the House of Representatives opens the way for new faces, leaving a strong legacy behind her. Among the new figures is New York’s moderate representative-elect, 52-year-old Hakeem Jeffries, well placed to succeed him.
It’s the end of an era. By announcing her retirement from the Democratic leadership in the House of Representatives, Nancy Pelosi, 82, paves the way for the arrival of a new generation of elected Democrats.
She was the first woman to hold the position of the Lower House of Congress, for which a political gift is needed.
The California representative-elect has often made it rain or shine on Capitol Hill, where she has been elected “president” since 2007, under President George W. Bush.
“Nancy Pelosi will be remembered as one of the most successful Parliamentarians in American history, crossing borders, opening opportunity, and working to serve the American people,” former Democratic President Barack Obama tweeted.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi will go down as one of the most accomplished legislators in American history—breaking barriers, opening doors for others, and working every day to serve the American people. I couldn’t be more grateful for her friendship and leadership from her. pic.twitter.com/zRYtKXVX88
—Barack Obama (@BarackObama) November 17, 2022
For his part, the current president, Joe Biden, greeted on Twitter “one of the most important speakers of the House of Representatives in American history” and praised his “patriotism” and “dignity”.
“She is a woman who leaves a very strong legacy and who remarkably knew how to hold her group with an iron fist, managing the divisions between progressives and moderates in the Democratic Party, of which she was a part,” said Jean-Éric Branaa, a professor at the University from Paris-Panthéon-Assas and a specialist in American politics.
Hakeem Jeffries, Nancy Pelosi’s heir
Beyond the highlights of her career as a “speaker,” particularly her two years of fierce opposition to Donald Trump, Nancy Pelosi has managed to push her line among House Democrats, even if it means slowing the rise of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, left party leader.
On the other side, New York elected official Hakeem Jeffries, 52, is the favorite to succeed Pelosi as leader of the Democrats in the House of Representatives.
If realized, he would become the first African American to lead one of the two major parties in Congress. Voting is scheduled for November 30.
“Hakeem Jeffries is Nancy Pelosi in a younger version, male and black. As for the political line, he is really a photocopy. Like her, he is moderate and known to have been very opposed to Bernie Sanders. It is clear that the most progressive see him arrive with less joy,” said Jean-Éric Branaa.
Asked on November 17 about possible support for a Hakeem Jeffries candidacy to replace Nancy Pelosi, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez stated that there is “a lot of rebuilding work to be done” within her in-laws.
Operation rejuvenation among the democrats
Meanwhile, Hakeem Jeffries, first elected to Congress in 2012, has been able to build his network in Washington and enjoys the support of many elected officials.
He is perceived as a good leader, an excellent speaker, someone who knows the workings of the Capitol very well, which is why he is expected to be tasked with succeeding Nancy Pelosi.
It was Pelosi who put it into orbit: aware of the need for a generational change within the Democratic Party, the former ‘speaker’ slowly but surely brought out Hakeem Jeffries.
He also nominated Massachusetts elected official Katherine Clark and California Rep. Pete Aguilar. These last two could also inherit prominent positions in the Democratic leadership.
Hakeem Jeffries was thus a member of the prosecution team in the impeachment proceedings against Donald Trump.
Pete Aguilar is part of the commission of inquiry into the attack on January 6, 2021. And Katherine Clark was instrumental in the meetings between Democrats that helped resolve the differences between moderates and progressives.
“The rejuvenation among Democrats is striking, underlines Jean-Éric Branaa. Nancy Pelosi is 82 years old and the other party leaders in office so far, Steny Hoyer and Jim Clyburn, are also over 80 years old. A change that voters are coming asking for a long time, especially the youth”.
Still, it is in the opposition that the new generation will have to learn. Republicans have won a majority of at least 218 seats in the House of Representatives that, albeit very brief, will give them blocking power over Joe Biden’s policy until 2024.
