Hakeem Jeffries, US House Speaker: What Is Certain and What Other Firsts Are on the Table

Hakeem Jeffries could become the first Black Speaker in the history of the United States, but he is not one yet. After the midterm elections (held halfway through a presidential term), Democrats have the majority in the House, and Jeffries, already their leader, is the natural candidate for Speaker of the chamber.¹²³ La Stampa puts him in the headline of a report on the firsts of this election, alongside Chris Pappas and Peggy Flanagan, both in the Senate.⁴

What Is Confirmed About Jeffries and What Is Not

The sources agree on the facts already established. Jeffries, 56, has been re-elected for an eighth term in New York’s eighth district and is the leader of the Democrats in the House.¹³⁵ On the role of Speaker, the texts use cautious wording: Sky TG24 writes that he “could become” the first Black Speaker, RaiNews that he is the “favorite”, Adnkronos that he is “destined” to become one. Agi specifies that, if elected, he would be the first Black person to hold the office.¹²³⁶ The decisive step remains. In the coming weeks Jeffries must gather the support of both the progressive and the moderate wings of the party, because the chamber will have to vote. Sky TG24 gives January 3 as the expected date for the swearing-in of the new Congress.¹ Sky TG24 adds that several American media outlets had predicted that the Democrats would win the House. Of La Stampa, the editorial team has only the headline and the summary, so the details of the report must be checked against the other sources.⁴¹

Who Is Hakeem Jeffries

Jeffries is a lawyer and has sat in the House of Representatives since 2012, when he was first elected in a New York district. He has led the Democrats since 2023, after Nancy Pelosi stepped down from the role to make way for a generational change. According to Sky TG24, no Black person before him had led one of the two major parties in Congress.¹ After the vote he wrote on social media that “the MAGA extremists are in retreat from coast to coast,” that “Donald Trump is shaken now” and that “America is back.”¹ Sky TG24 reports, citing CNN, that Jeffries already had a list of priorities in case of a majority: reversing the Republican cuts to Medicaid, curbing the cost of living and ending the war in Iran. Also according to Sky TG24, as long as Trump is in the White House these proposals have no way of becoming law.¹

The Other Firsts Mentioned in the Report

Chris Pappas, a Democrat from New Hampshire, will be the first openly gay senator, as La Stampa and the other sources write. The news is based on projections by Decision Desk HQ, a company that compiles election results. Forty-six years old, he had sat in the House since January 2019, where he supported the Equality Act, the Democratic bill for federal protections against discrimination based on sexual orientation and gender identity.⁷⁴² During the campaign Pappas did not focus on being a first: he talked mainly about the cost of living, healthcare costs and the fight against corruption in Washington. After his victory he went up on stage with his husband. Adnkronos adds that the seat was considered vulnerable to Republicans.⁷²³ Peggy Flanagan, until now lieutenant governor of Minnesota, was elected as the first Native American woman senator.⁴²⁶

Other Firsts Reported by Only One Source or a Few

Abdul El-Sayed, 42, of Egyptian origin, won in Michigan by beating Republican Mike Rogers and will be the first Muslim senator. Adnkronos and RaiNews report this.²³ Keisha Lance Bottoms, formerly mayor of Atlanta from 2018 to 2022, was elected governor of Georgia. According to Agi and RaiNews, she is the first Black woman to lead an American state. Adnkronos, which uses the wording “is on her way to becoming,” specifies that she beat Republican Rick Jackson and succeeds Brian Kemp.²³⁶ Deb Haaland, of the Laguna Pueblo tribe, is the first Native American woman elected governor, in New Mexico.²⁶ Only Adnkronos reports two other firsts. Byron Donalds, a 48-year-old Republican, would give Florida its first Black governor. Adam Hamawy, in New Jersey’s 12th district, would be the first Muslim member of Congress. No other source read confirms them.³

This article was written by artificial intelligence from the sources cited, without human review. Automatic newsroom by Redazia.

Sources

Footnotes

1. Midterm, Jeffries verso presidenza Camera: primo speaker afroamericano, Sky TG24 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸

2. Il nuovo vento: dalla prima governatrice afroamericana al primo senatore dichiaratamente gay, RaiNews, 2026-11-04 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸

3. Elezioni midterm, la notte delle prime volte: da Jeffries a El-Sayed e Pappas, i risultati ‘storici’, Adnkronos, 2026-11-04 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷

4. Non solo Hakeem Jeffries primo speaker afroamericano: tutti i debutti di queste elezioni Usa, La Stampa, 2026-11-04 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

5. Midterm, il democratico Hakeem Jeffries rieletto alla Camera, ANSA, 2026-11-04 ↩

6. Tutte le sorprese del voto negli Usa, agi.it, 2026-11-04 ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

7. Midterm, Chris Pappas sarà il primo senatore Usa dichiaratamente gay, Sky TG24 ↩ ↩²