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By Andrew Stanton
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Representative-elect Don Leonard, a Democrat who flipped a traditionally Republican seat in Ohio in the midterms, said in a video posted to social media that senior party leaders warned of a “living hell” if he opposes House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries for House speaker.
Jeffries, a New York Democrat, has been seen as the favorite to become the next speaker, but not all Democrats are committed to supporting him. Parts of the base have for years lamented what they view as a feeble approach to President Donald Trump’s second term in office and have pushed for new leadership to put up more of a fight against the administration.
What Don Leonard Said He Was Told By Leadership
Leonard, who won a district based around Columbus and southwestern Ohio suburbs that Trump won by 10 points in 2024, is among the incoming members of Congress who have declined to commit to supporting Jeffries.
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In a video posted to Instagram, Leonard said he met with senior members of the House on Monday to discuss the leadership vote.
He said they told him “in no uncertain terms that the decision” to support Jeffries would “basically mean both making my life a living hell for the next two years here in Washington, as well as being sure to lose my election in two years.”
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“We kind of knew this stuff was coming. It’s part of the stuff you see in the movies,” he said. “It’s a whole other thing when it’s in person by people who actually care about you and are cheering for you but expect you to wear the team jersey and be a good team player.”
Leonard said he would like to meet with Jeffries to discuss his constituents’ priorities, which he said include a constitutional amendment to end Citizens United and ending support for the Iran war and Israel.
He said he and his team were “searching our hearts” to figure out how to reach Jeffries and “help him be a better speaker.”
“At the end of the day, the big-D Democratic Party needs some little-d democracy,” he said. “I’m just a stubborn SOB, so we’ll continue meeting with our fellow members of Congress and members elect and try to see if we can build support for what we’re trying to do here.”
Leonard did not say who made these comments. He also did not elaborate specifically on how his life in D.C. would be made a “living hell,” but leadership does have sway over things like committee assignments and reelection resources that would be important for a Democrat running in a historically conservative district.
Newsweek reached out to Jeffries’ office and Leonard’s campaign for comment via email.
The video drew backlash from some progressive Democrats.
“Leonard won a Trump district, but if he doesn’t support Hakeem, Hakeem is saying he’s willing to hurt his electoral chances by not letting him get his legislative priorities. And he doesn’t say it, but they definitely threaten to withhold money in the races too,” Saikat Chakrabarti, a former congressional candidate and chief of staff to Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, wrote on X.
Democratic Leadership Responds to Leonard Allegation
Representative Pete Aguilar, a California Democrat serving as the chair of the House Democratic Caucus, said during a press conference on Tuesday he does not “know what senior Democrats he's talking about.”
“I think all of us here can attest to the work, the time and energy that Hakeem Jeffries put into helping to build this majority, by the way, a majority that many of you reported on, pundits and others, said was going to be, you know, much smaller than ended it up,” he said. “We overperformed, because of our candidates, because of the climate and because of our message and our agenda. Leader Jeffries was an integral part of that.”
He said that members “can have ideas and interests, and they could have asks along the way.”
“But the outcome is not in question, and so I would tell any member that if they asked how we're thinking about it, I would say, ‘I'm voting for Hakeem Jeffries, and there is no question he will be the next speaker,’” he said.
Can Democrats Block Jeffries Speakership?
Leonard isn’t alone in being uncommitted to backing Jeffries for the speakership, as the party grapples with what voters want from them after their victory in the midterms.
However, he does have some cushioning that could make any challenge an uphill battle. Democrats have won 254 seats in the House of Representatives, with 16 uncalled races that could add to their margin, according to the Associated Press.
Both progressives and centrists have signaled that they are unsure whether they will vote for him.
Representative-elect Darializa Avila Chevalier, a Democratic socialist who won New York’s 13th District, has declined to commit to supporting Jeffries, telling CNN she is still "weighing" the vote.
"I think it's going to be a very important vote, and something that I'm trying to make sure that I've discussed with my community, discuss with folks who understand the consequences and the significance of this," she said.
Representative-elect Jamie Ager, a North Carolina Democrat who was endorsed by the centrist Blue Dog Coalition, declined to commit to Jeffries in remarks to Fox News.
"I don’t know," he told the news outlet. "We’ll see."
However, it’s not clear that any Democrat has actually run against Jeffries, complicating the path to replacing him for his critics.
Ocasio-Cortez told Drop Site News that Jeffries is facing an “unopposed race” and that there is “really no material scenario until there is a race” when asked if she has any red lines that would cause her to withhold her vote for Jeffries. She noted that Democrats’ large majority means there would need dozens of defections, a prospect she said appears “unrealistic.”
Jeffries was asked whether he has the votes to become speaker during a press conference on Monday.
“We have a vote next Wednesday. I’m going to work hard to talk to every single member about what we’ve been able to do together over the last two years and what the opportunities are for us to do together in the next two years to deliver upon the dramatic change that the American people so decisively voted for this past Tuesday,” he said.
When asked if he has the vote count “nailed down,” Jeffries said, “I guess we’ll find out next Wednesday.”
Who Is Don Leonard?
Prior to his victory in Ohio’s 15th Congressional District, Leonard had worked as a professor of city and regional planning at Ohio State University. He is seen as a more progressive member in a Trump-won seat, having voiced support for a “Medicare for all who want it” health care plan and universal childcare, according to The Columbus Dispatch.
He won his race by more than 6 points, unseating GOP Representative Mike Carey in a seat that backed Trump by about 10 points in 2024.
His victory was seen as a bit of a surprise, as forecasters like the Cook Political Report and Sabato’s Crystal Ball placed the race in their Lean Republican categories. The district includes parts of Columbus, as well as more conservative areas to the west of the city that have kept it more conservative until Tuesday.
Petition Urging New Speaker Tops 1M Signatures
A Change.org petition urging House Democrats to choose someone else as speaker had received more than 1 million signatures as of Tuesday.
“We believe the Speaker should represent the Democratic voters, not just the Democratic establishment,” the petition reads.
It urged lawmakers to “examine Jeffries's public record, policy positions, campaign donor record and leadership...and listen to constituents who do not want him elevated to Speaker.”
Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Samantha Beech and Gray R. Thomas
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