Who is Hakeem Jeffries? The first black lawmaker nominee for house speaker, know everything about him

On Tuesday, House Democrats formally elected New York Representative Hakeem Jeffries as their leader, uniting around a liberal lawyer and disciplined political tactician as the face of their opposition to the new Republican majority.

Mr Jeffries' ascension made history on a day otherwise dominated by uproarious squabbling among Republicans. He is the first Black politician to serve as the leader of either party in Congress, andat 52, he represents a generational shift for House Democrats after two decades under Nancy Pelosi.

ThoughJeffries was defeated on Tuesday, now that House Democrats are in the minority in this Congress. But the Democrats were rejoicingfor Jeffries, clearly having more fun than Republicans, whose first day in the House majority devolved into chaos with far-right members opposing McCarthy's bid for speaker. This nomination of Jeffries is seen as a dig at Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy as Democrats said that Jeffries does not "grovel" to former President Donald Trump.

Who is Hakeem Jeffries?

Laneda Jeffries, a social worker, and Marland Jeffries, a state substance-abuse counsellor, gave birth to Jeffries at Brooklyn Hospital Center in New York City. He grew up in Brooklyn's Crown Heights neighbourhood.

Early life and education

In 1988, Jeffries graduated from Midwood High School and then went on to study political science at Binghamton University, where he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with honours in 1992. During his time at Binghamton, he joined the Kappa Alpha Psi fraternity.

Jeffries earned a Master of Public Policy from Georgetown University's McCourt School of Public Policy in 1994. He then went to law school at New York University, where he was a member of the New York University Law Review andreceived his Juris Doctorate in 1997.

Political Career

Mr Jeffries, the son of civil servants, rose quickly through the ranks of Democratic politics in New York and then Washington, beginning as a litigator at a white-shoe law firm and then at CBS. He has represented some of the nation's most iconic Black neighbourhoods in Brooklyn since 2013. During his presidency, Trump established a national reputation as a scathing critic and impeachment prosecutor, while also working with Republicans to pass criminal justice reform legislation.

The big leap

Democrats have been grooming Mr Jeffries, the former chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, as a potential leader for several years. But it wasn't until Ms Pelosi decided to resign as speaker after last year's midterm elections. He then stepped forward, along with Mr Aguilar and Massachusetts Rep. Katherine Clark.

The future challengesin front of Mr Jeffries

People close to Mr Jeffries describe him as a calm strategist and communicator. He has become known in Washington for sticking to carefully worded statements. However, he faces a difficult task in taming an unruly and ideologically diverse Democratic caucus while attempting to blunt Republican attacks on the Biden administration and regaining the majority in 2024.