Hakeem S. Jeffries represents New York's 8th Congressional District and has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 2013. He was elected House Democratic Leader in November 2022, becoming the first Black lawmaker to lead a major party in either chamber of Congress. Prior to his congressional service, Jeffries served in the New York State Assembly from 2007 to 2012. He previously worked as a corporate lawyer and litigator, and served as one of the House impeachment managers during President Trump's first impeachment trial in 2020.

Name

Hakeem S. Jeffries

Party

Democratic

State

New York

District

NY-8

Key Fact 1

Hakeem Jeffries was elected House Democratic Leader in the 118th Congress, making him the youngest person to lead a party caucus in Congress since the 1980s.

Key Fact 2

He served as Chairman of the House Democratic Caucus from 2019 to 2023, the fifth-highest position in House Democratic leadership.

Key Fact 3

Jeffries graduated from Binghamton University and earned his master's degree from Georgetown University and law degree from New York University School of Law.

Key Fact 4

He served on the House Judiciary Committee and the House Budget Committee during his tenure as a rank-and-file member.

Key Fact 5

His congressional district includes parts of Brooklyn and Queens, encompassing neighborhoods such as Bedford-Stuyvesant, Crown Heights, and parts of southeast Queens.

Key Fact 6

Jeffries was one of seven House impeachment managers who presented the case against President Trump in the Senate trial in January 2020.

Key Fact 7

Before entering Congress, he worked at the law firms Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison and Viacom.

Key Fact 8

He has focused on criminal justice reform, affordable housing, and economic development issues during his congressional career.

Data from Congress.gov