In a bid to move the party’s leadership in a more bold direction, progressive groups and activists mobilized urgently in recent weeks to pressure House Democrats to elect Rep. Barbara Lee (D-Calif.) as the party’s next Caucus Chair.
But, ultimately, their campaign was not enough to overcome the party establishment’s support for the more “moderate” Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.), who was elected on Wednesday by a vote of 123-113.
“Jeffries is a big money Democrat and a member in good standing of Andrew Cuomo’s New York machine. There is no way to spin his victory over Barbara Lee as a sign the party is moving in a progressive direction.”
—Zach Carter, Huffington Post
Jeffries’ victory over Lee was met with dismay by progressives, who viewed the anti-war congresswoman’s defeat at the hands of her House Democratic colleagues as yet another sign that the party badly needs a new direction.
“What is there to say anymore? The Democratic Party establishment needs to be primaried into oblivion,” Margaret McLaughlin, a member of the Metro D.C. branch of the Democratic Socialists of America (DSA), wrote on Twitter.
While Jeffries is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus (CPC), critics and reporters argued that his overwhelming reliance on big money donors and his positions on major issues raise serious questions about his commitment to the kinds of bold policies that swept “the most progressive freshman class” in U.S. history into office in the November midterms and gave Democrats control of the House.
“Jeffries is a big money Democrat and a member in good standing of [Gov.] Andrew Cuomo’s New York machine,” noted Huffington Post reporter Zach Carter. “There is no way to spin his victory over Barbara Lee as a sign the party is moving in a progressive direction.”
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