Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries is set to make history as the nation's first Black speaker of the House, after Democrats defeated Republicans to win majority control of Congress in the 2026 midterm elections.

Jeffries faces a vote of his colleagues when the new Congress convenes Jan. 3, 2027.

If he is nominated and elected, it would be the first time a Black legislator becomes House speaker, a job second in line to the president and the only leadership position in Congress mandated by the U.S. Constitution, according to The Associated Press.