Scoop: Dozens of Democratic House candidates won't commit to backing Hakeem Jeffries

Dozens of Democrats running for U.S. House seats across the country told Axios they either wouldn't vote for House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) as party leader or declined to commit to doing so.Why it matters: Jeffries has enjoyed the unanimous support of his caucus since becoming Democratic leader in 2022. That may no longer be the case next Congress amid growing grassroots frustration toward his leadership, particularly on the left.Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has been a magnet for criticism from Democratic activists this year, but Jeffries is emerging as another prominent target.By the numbers: Axios reached out to virtually every Democrat running for a House seat that could conceivably be won by a Democrat in 2026, with 113 responding in phone interviews or written answers.Of those, 20 said they wouldn't vote for Jeffries as speaker or minority leader, with five more saying they were likely to vote against him.Another 57 candidates declined to commit to supporting Jeffries — saying it was premature to do so, citing ideological differences or outlining perceived flaws in strategy, messaging or leadership they want to see addressed.Only 24 said they would definitely vote for Jeffries, with another seven saying they would likely do so.Between the lines: "Leader Jeffries is focused on battling Donald Trump, ending the Republican shutdown of the federal government and addressing the crushing GOP health care crisis," Jeffries spokesperson Justin Chermol told Axios.State of play: Plenty of the Jeffries skeptics are outsiders and long shots, while many of the front-runners in key battleground districts declined to respond.Still, some of the Democratic leader's detractors and holdouts have a real chance of making it into Congress.Daniel Biss and Kat Abughazaleh, two of the leading candidates in the Democratic primary to succeed retiring Rep. Jan Schakowsky (D-Ill.), both stopped short of saying they would vote for Jeffries.So did insurgent Democratic candidates like Luke Bronin, Donavan McKinney, Mai Vang, Saikat Chakrabarti and Patrick Roath, who are raising substantial sums in their bids to unseat older Democratic incumbents.Data: Axios research; Chart: Erin Davis/Axios VisualsWhat they're saying: Heath Howard, a New Hampshire state representative running for an open U.S. House seat, told Axios of Jeffries, "I think we need to have a new type of leadership that's ... going to fight back significantly harder against the Trump administration."Abughazaleh said she will support a leader who is "taking actual action against this administration" and that the left should use "our leverage to demand progressive change.""We've got to see improvement, without question," said Amanda Edwards, who was on the Houston city council and is running in a Texas special election.Harry Jarin, a firefighter challenging former House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.), told Axios: "The anger of the base right now is not being matched by Democratic leadership ... and that is going to have to change one way or another."Zoom in: One common thread in candidates' refusal to back Jeffries was that he has not endorsed New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani — a point of tension for sitting progressive House Democrats as well."His refusal to endorse Zohran makes me nervous that, if I were to become the nominee in my race, he and the party would not support me," said Jacob Lawrence, a candidate running to take on Rep. Chuck Edwards (R-N.C.).Chakrabarti, asked whether he would vote for Jeffries, quipped: "What is it that Hakeem said about endorsing Zohran? 'I'll have conversations with him and see where it goes.'"Zoom out: Jeffries' dilemma represents a reversal of the persistent centrist rebellions that former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) had to quell throughout her leadership.Rep. Brad Schneider (D-Ill.), chair of the center-left New Democrat Coalition, told Axios in a statement: "New Dems have talked to over 150 candidates. Every one of them is focused on one thing — winning the majority and making Hakeem Jeffries Speaker."Much of Jeffries' opposition comes from the left and is grounded in progressive critiques of his leadership, though candidates also took issue with him in areas such as tactics and public communications.Reality check: Several sitting progressive House Democrats predicted Jeffries will ultimately win over his skeptics — congressional leaders often manage to bridge these gaps — but cautioned not to overlook the real anger perforating his once rock-solid support within the party.One House progressive, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to offer candid thoughts on their party's leader, said primary voters are "looking for younger, more progressive and more courageous [candidates] who are far more interested in representing their districts than going along with the leader."A senior House progressive said "the convergence of general discontent with the progressive-moderate theme ... is a real problem" for Jeffries."People say what they need to say in order to get elected," said a third progressive lawmaker, "but I think that there is a frustration from our voters at leadership in both houses."The bottom line: "The question is going to be how many are going to win," said the first House progressive. "If there's a contingency of 10 to 12 of them and they're sticking together, I think it's going to really shake things up."

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