With Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announcing she will step back from House leadership after two decades as the chamber’s top Democrat, a New Yorker is emerging as her likely successor.

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, a 52-year-old Brooklyn Democrat, is the perceived frontrunner for the job. A former state assemblyman and corporate lawyer, Jeffries has chaired the House Democratic caucus for nearly four years.

Speaking on the House floor Thursday, Pelosi said the “hour’s come for a new generation to lead the Democratic caucus that I so deeply respect.”

Jeffries, who first arrived on Capitol Hill in 2013, received a big boost on Thursday, when current Majority Leader Steny Hoyer — Pelosi’s second in command — endorsed him.

What You Need To Know

  • On Thursday, Speaker of the House Pelosi announced she will step back from House leadership, saying it is time for a "new generation."

  • Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, a former state assemblyman and corporate lawyer who has chaired the House Democratic caucus for nearly four years, is seen as the frontrunner to replace Pelosi

  • New York Democrats who spoke with NY1 are rallying around Jeffries, including Rep. Jamaal Bowman, a member of the Squad

New York Democrats who spoke with Spectrum News NY1 are likewise rallying around him.

“From the Hispanic caucus to the Progressive Caucus, to the Blue Dogs and the New Dems — Hakeem’s going to make sure everyone’s voices are part of the conversation,” said Rep. Jamaal Bowman, who represents The Bronx and Westchester County.

“Even though he’s often the smartest person in the room, he is a listener and he listens intently to the concerns of every member,” said Bronx Rep. Ritchie Torres.

If elected to replace Pelosi, Jeffries would make history as the first Black politician to lead a party on Capitol Hill.

“I’m old enough to remember when that was unthinkable,” said Queens Rep. Gregory Meeks.

Jeffries’s potential ascendency would further bolster New York’s influence in Washington. With Sen. Chuck Schumer expected to stay on as Senate majority leader, the Democratic coalition in both chambers of Congress would be led by a Brooklynite.

Torres likened this possibility to New York “winning the lottery.”

Asked about this dynamic and whether it would be good for the Democratic Party nationally, Jeffries told Spectrum News NY1 last week that the House and the Senate “are very different institutions.”

“I certainly think that the House will work its will in the manner that it sees best for the future of the institution and the Senate certainly will continue to do that as well,” he said.

Jeffries is on record several times criticizing and challenging the “extreme left.”

Asked if Jeffries will be able to appease that wing of the party, Bowman — a member of the Squad — said, “there’s going to be some fights and some conversations, but that’s what’s supposed to happen. That’s the point of democracy, that’s the point of the Democratic Party.”

Bowman, who is supporting Jeffries for the top job, noted he and the chairman are on the same page on economic and racial justice issues, among other policy areas.

House Democrats will reportedly hold their leadership elections in the week following Thanksgiving.