Hakeem Jeffries, New York

Hakeem Jeffries is a Democratic U.S. Representative serving New York's 8th Congressional District since 2013 and House Democratic Leader since 2023 — the first Black American to lead a major party caucus in Congress. A Georgetown University graduate with a J.D. from New York University School of Law, he worked as a litigator at Paul, Weiss and served in the New York State Assembly before entering Congress. He serves on the Judiciary Committee and has become one of the most prominent voices in the Democratic Party on criminal justice reform, voting rights, economic fairness, and defending democratic institutions.