Anti-Jeffries Petition Tops 1 Million Signatures as Progressives Seek a More Combative Speaker

A petition urging House Democrats to reject Hakeem Jeffries as the next speaker of the House has surpassed 1 million signatures, intensifying a grassroots revolt against party leadership in the wake of last week’s sweeping midterm victories.The Change.org petition, titled “House Democrats: CHOOSE A NEW SPEAKER,” was created by Nicole Whitted, an author and Democratic-leaning social media personality with more than 210,000 TikTok followers. It argues that Mr. Jeffries represents the “Democratic establishment” rather than the party’s voters, and calls on members of the incoming 120th Congress to back a different candidate when the vote for speaker takes place in January.“We believe the Speaker should represent the Democratic voters, not just the Democratic establishment,” the petition says. “The Speaker has enormous influence over the direction of the House, including its legislative priorities and agenda. Before casting their votes, representatives should closely examine Jeffries’s public record, policy positions, campaign donor record, and leadership … and listen to constituents who do not want him elevated to Speaker.”The petition insists it is not too late to prevent Mr. Jeffries from becoming speaker. “This is not a foregone conclusion,” it reads. “There is still time for other Democratic members of the House to step forward and seek the nomination for Speaker, someone whose priorities more closely reflect the voters who hope to elect the Democratic majority.”A similar undercurrent of discontent is brewing on the Senate side, where some progressive senators-elect have called for Chuck Schumer to step aside as the party’s leader. Maine’s Troy Jackson has said he will vote against Mr. Schumer despite the $3 million the Senate leader funneled into his campaign. Michigan’s Abdul El-Sayed has thrown his support behind Senator Chris Van Hollen of Maryland for the role, though Mr. Van Hollen’s team has said he isn’t running. Comedian Jon Stewart used his podcast to call for Mr. Schumer to step aside, while several incoming senators — including Juliana Stratton, Peggy Flanagan, and Elissa Slotkin — have signaled they won’t back him. Despite the criticism, Mr. Schumer is expected to retain enough support within his caucus to keep his leadership post.Momentum for the petition targeting Mr. Jeffries follows Tuesday’s midterm elections, in which Democrats flipped control of both the Senate and the House, with the party expected to hold at least 254 seats in the next Congress compared to 162 for Republicans. That victory has emboldened progressives who argue that Mr. Jeffries has failed to embrace policies — such as Medicare for All, curbing corporate power, and restricting military aid to Israel — that they say fueled the party’s electoral success.A Hollywood actor, Mark Ruffalo, amplified the petition on the social platform Bluesky, writing: “Sign this petition if you want a new speaker of the house.” According to Axios, Mr. Ruffalo’s post has driven a significant share of the pressure campaign now targeting House Democrats directly.That pressure has translated into a flood of calls and emails to lawmakers’ offices. One incoming House Democrat told Axios they are “getting inundated,” having received roughly 150 calls since Election Day urging them not to support Mr. Jeffries. A senior House Democrat said their office fielded “over 500” calls in two days alone, adding that the issue even came up at a Chamber of Commerce event in their district. “I think our numbers are higher” than 500, said another member. “It’s our No. 1 issue, and it’s not close.”A Democratic chief of staff told Axios their office had received roughly 300 calls, many floating an alternative: “Lots of people are saying make Jamie Raskin speaker.” Mr. Raskin, the top Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee and a progressive favorite since his role on the January 6 committee, has expressed no interest in challenging Mr. Jeffries, and a spokesperson for his office declined to comment.Ms. Whitted, who discloses on the petition page that she receives compensation through Change.org’s “Change Ambassadors” program, pointed to specific grievances in comments to Newsweek. She cited an August meeting between Mr. Jeffries and Jared Kushner, President Trump’s son-in-law, as well as Representative Haley Stevens’ remark calling Mr. Jeffries “our next speaker of the House” shortly after her own controversial endorsement of a Republican Senate candidate over a Democratic rival.“My opposition to Hakeem Jeffries is about more than any single policy disagreement,” Mr. Whitted said. “It’s about real leadership that aligns with today’s Democratic voter, real accountability, and whether the party is genuinely listening to the voters demanding change.”Despite the outcry, Mr. Jeffries remains the overwhelming favorite to win the gavel. “Nobody has offered even a hint of a whisper that they would be willing to run against him,” according to Axios. One House Democrat whose office received around 50 calls put the odds of anyone else becoming speaker at “none.” A senior progressive member put the chance of Mr. Jeffries losing at “0.0%.”Some lawmakers say they haven’t felt the pressure at all. “That’s ridiculous. I haven’t gotten one,” Representative Jim Himes of Connecticut told Axios, adding that “Jeffries absolutely will be speaker.” Representative Sam Liccardo of California was similarly dismissive: “I’ll be supporting Hakeem Jeffries, and anybody talking about a challenger is just selling tickets to a circus with no tent.”Still, Mr. Jeffries faces quieter skepticism beyond the progressive wing. Axios interviewed nearly a half-dozen incoming House Democrats in traditionally red districts who declined to commit to a position on Mr. Jeffries. Don Leonard, an Ohio Democrat who won in a district that Mr. Trump carried by 10 points in 2024, said he’ll be “shopping for a new leader” if Mr. Jeffries doesn’t shift his stance on Israel.Mr. Jeffries formally launched his bid for speaker on Wednesday in a letter to colleagues, writing that House Democrats “were consistently successful in the minority” and “must now deliver the dramatic change the American people are demanding in the majority.” If elected, he would become the first black speaker in American history. House Democrats will hold an internal vote to select their nominee on November 18 and 19, with the full House to vote on January 3, when the new Congress convenes.

Anti-Jeffries Petition Tops 1 Million Signatures as Progressives Seek a More Combative Speaker

Anti-Jeffries Petition Tops 1 Million Signatures as Progressives Seek a More Combative Speaker

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