House Democrats Elect Hakeem Jeffries First Black Leader (1)

House Democrats unanimously elected Hakeem Jeffries to be minority leader next year, marking the party’s first change in top leadership in two decades.

He is the first Black lawmaker to be elected to a top congressional leadership post.

Watch: House Democrats unanimously elected Hakeem Jeffries to be minority leader next year.

Source: Bloomberg

The victory for the New York Democrat is more coronation than competition. The current chair of the House Democratic Caucus, Jeffries has long been seen as the heir apparent to Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.). Although Intelligence Committee Chair Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) initially considered a run for the top spot, he ultimately decided against it.

Rep. Derek Kilmer (D-Wash.) gave one of ...