House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries may be facing a harder path to the speakership than many expected, as a growing number of Democratic candidates say they cannot commit to backing him. While Jeffries and his allies point out he hasn’t lost a single Democratic vote across 20 speaker ballots, this new group of progressive candidates could be the first to break that streak.
Last fall, over 80 Democratic House candidates were either non-committal or outright opposed to supporting Jeffries, and that situation has only grown since then. One vocal candidate is Mai Vang, a Sacramento City Council member running against Representative Doris Matsui in California. According to Axios, Vang initially said she would “support the person that my future colleagues elect as our leader,” but later changed her tone.
Vang stated, “The Democratic Party and its leadership, Chuck Schumer and Hakeem Jeffries, have failed to mobilize meaningful opposition to President Trump’s illegal war and their silence as AIPAC and corporations flood Congressional primaries with millions of dollars is deafening.” She added, “I cannot support this kind of leadership. If we want to defeat President Trump and rebuild trust with working Americans, we need new leadership and a new direction.”
Progressive challengers across multiple states are putting real pressure on Jeffries’ hold on his caucus
Vang is running on a platform of generational change against the 81-year-old Matsui. At 41, she raised $282,000 by the end of 2025, compared to Matsui’s $750,000. One House Democrat noted that Matsui has privately voiced concerns about her reelection.
Matsui’s spokesperson Kevin Liao pushed back, saying their “campaign is off to a strong start – securing the California Democratic Party’s endorsement, along with support from labor and a supermajority of Mai Vang’s own colleagues.”
Beyond California, new retirements and redrawn congressional maps have opened up primaries across the country, bringing in more candidates skeptical of Jeffries. Adam Hamawy, a candidate in New Jersey’s 12th district, said, “Most Democrats are agreed that he’s been failing to meet the moment,” and that he is “looking for someone that’s gonna stand up to the administration.”
Claire Valdez, a New York State Assembly member, said “there would need to be some conversations” before she would back Jeffries. Jeffries has previously vowed to stop Trump from rigging the 2026 midterm elections, a stance some progressives feel hasn’t been backed by enough action.
Not everyone shares this view. New York Assembly member Alex Bores, running to replace retiring Representative Jerry Nadler, defended Jeffries, saying, “I’ve seen real fight coming from our caucus and that matters.” He acknowledged there is “room to grow” but said Jeffries is “doing a difficult, thankless job” and confirmed he would support him.
Jeffries’ spokesperson Justin Chermol outlined the leader’s priorities: “Leader Jeffries is focused on addressing the affordability crisis, stopping the bombing in the Middle East, reining in ICE and taking back the House to stop Republican extremists from destroying America.”
Chermol also dismissed the idea of a serious challenge, saying, “We have zero interest in a frivolous story from the same outlet that once sensationally claimed Leader Jeffries was going to face a serious primary.” Jeffries has also been publicly vocal on other fronts, having recently called out the Trump DOJ as illegitimate after journalist Don Lemon was detained.
Whether Jeffries secures the speakership easily or faces a difficult multi-ballot fight will largely depend on how progressive candidates do in their primaries, and whether Democrats win the House. “Obviously, if we can’t win the majority this year, that’s a problem,” said Jason Knapp, a candidate in Virginia’s 1st District.
Published: Mar 17, 2026 03:45 pm