Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, a Democrat from Brooklyn, is widely viewed as the heir apparent to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, who said Thursday she will not seek a leadership role in the next Congress.
Jeffries, a lawyer by trade, could join Sen. Chuck Schumer as Brooklyn Democrats leading their parties in Congress.
Who Is Hakeem Jeffries?
Jeffries, chair of the House Democratic Caucus, represents New York's 8th District, a deep-blue seat representing southern and eastern parts of the borough of Brooklyn.
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He was first elected to Congress in 2012 after serving six years in the New York State Assembly.
Aged 52 and a father of two, Jeffries did his undergrad studies at SUNY-Binghamton, got a master's from Georgetown and later a law degree from NYU.
He clerked for a federal judge and spent years in private legal practice, including time as a litigator for Viacom and CBS.
Politics
Jeffries has been a rising star in the party for years; a Washington Post story in 2012 asked if he was "Brooklyn's Barack Obama."
Raised in Crown Heights, Hakeem Jeffries now lives in Prospect Heights with his family.
