Hakeem Jeffries is on track to become the first Black speaker of the House after Democrats won control of the chamber on Tuesday night. The Brooklyn congressman stepped onto a stage in Washington to cheers and opened his remarks with three words: "America is back."

The House will formally elect its speaker when the new Congress convenes in January. With a large Democratic majority now projected, Jeffries is expected to win the gavel easily and become second in line to the presidency.

Jeffries, 56, grew up in Crown Heights and has represented his Brooklyn district since 2013. He took over as leader of House Democrats in 2023 after Nancy Pelosi stepped aside and spent the past two years in the minority building toward this moment.

A promise of big change

In his victory speech he called the vote a change election and said Democrats owe the country dramatic results. He pledged to focus first on making daily life affordable, from housing and health care to education and retirement security.

He also promised accountability. Jeffries said people in high office who use their power to enrich themselves or their donors would face scrutiny from a House with subpoena power. He said voters had made clear that their government is not for sale.

Speaker Mike Johnson conceded from Shreveport, Louisiana. He told supporters he left everything on the field but that holding the House meant defying more than a century of midterm history.

A moment years in the making

For many Black Americans the milestone lands alongside other firsts from the same night, including new Black governors in Georgia, Nevada, Florida and Wisconsin. Jeffries, the son of a social worker and a substance abuse counselor, has long credited the Brooklyn church and neighborhood that raised him.

His job will not be simple. Any bill the House passes will still need the Senate and a signature from the president, who keeps his veto. Jeffries told the crowd his caucus is ready to get to work on day one.