WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Wash., has endorsed current House Minority Leader, Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York, for Speaker of the House, touting him as “the architect of the largest House majority in more than 30 years.”
Larsen, who represents Everett and the 2nd Congressional District, is pushing for Jeffries after Democrats surged in the November mid-term election to flip control of the House.
House Democrats gained 42 seats, currently holding 254 of the 435 positions with 16 contests still undecided. Republicans held a 218-214 majority going into the Nov. 3 general election. The full account of Democratic House majority won’t be known until mid-December. Louisiana holds its general election contest on Dec. 12 after the Nov. 3 election–that decided most Congressional contests around the country–in the Bayou State, was a primary vote for two Congressional races.
“I support Hakeem Jeffries for Speaker of the House of Representatives,” Larsen announced in a written statement, saying, “I know Hakeem, we are a good team and he has helped me deliver for Northwest Washington. Hakeem is an inclusive leader who respects and values every voice in a diverse Democratic Caucus. He is the architect of the largest House majority in more than 30 years, and he will make history as the first Black Speaker in our nation’s history. He has earned my confidence. I look forward to working with Hakeem to provide affordability for you and accountability for Trump and his cronies.”
When the new House convenes in January, the Clerk of the House from the previous Congress (or a designated Speaker pro tempore) presides over the chamber to establish a quorum. The election of the Speaker takes precedence over all other business. The Clerk calls out the last name of each Representative-elect alphabetically, and members respond viva voce (out loud) by naming their chosen candidate.
Members may vote for any individual, and the candidate does not strictly have to be a sitting member of Congress, though they almost always are. To win, a candidate must receive a numerical majority of the votes cast by name. Members can vote “present” or abstain, which lowers the overall total of decisive votes needed to reach a majority, as those votes do not count toward the final threshold.
If no candidate wins a majority on the first ballot, the roll call is repeated as many times as necessary until a candidate achieves the required majority.
Jeffries is an attorney by trade, former in-house counsel for Viacom and CBS Broadcasting. Politically, he served in the New York State Assembly representing District 57 from 2007 to 2012. He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives for New York’s 8th Congressional District, taking office on January 3, 2013.
He’s served as Whip of the Congressional Black Caucus, co-chaired the Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (DPCC), elected as Chair of the House Democratic Caucus, serving from 2019 to 2023, unanimously elected in November 2022 to succeed Nancy Pelosi as House Democratic Leader and House Minority Leader, becoming the first African American to lead a major political party in either chamber of Congress.
Hawaii Congressman, Brian Schatz, is in line to become the Democrats’ second in command, as House Majority Leader.
In addition to his endorsement of Jeffries as Speaker, Larsen’s co-sponsored bill to provide full benefits for wounded veterans before establishing 20 years of service has overwhelmingly pass the House. By a vote of 392 to 18, the House passed the Major Richard Star Act after Larsen worked with colleagues to force a vote on the bill. The Major Richard Star Act, corrects an offset in benefits for combat-injured veterans.
“In my conversations with Northwest Washington veterans, the Major Richard Star Act has consistently been a top priority. It is just common sense that veterans forced to retire with combat injuries before reaching 20 years of service deserve retirement pay and disability pay. Passing the Major Richard Star Act is a big win for the 47,000 veterans I represent, and I urge my colleagues in the Senate to quickly pass the bill and send it to the President’s desk.”