Dozens of Democratic candidates running for U.S. House seats nationwide have told Axios they either would not support House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) for party leader or are not yet ready to commit to voting for him. Their responses reveal a growing unease across parts of the Democratic Party as the 2026 election cycle looms — an unease that reflects deeper ideological and generational rifts inside the party’s foundation.
Since taking over from Nancy Pelosi in 2022, Jeffries has been praised for keeping House Democrats united through tough legislative battles and political messaging wars with Republicans. For nearly two years, he managed to maintain unanimous support within his caucus — a rare feat in the polarized era of U.S. politics. Yet that image of solidarity may soon face its most serious test.
Progressive activists and grassroots organizers, once willing to give Jeffries the benefit of the doubt, are now voicing frustration over what they view as overly cautious leadership. While Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) has long been a lightning rod for left-wing criticism, Jeffries’ pragmatic approach and reluctance to embrace more progressive policies have recently put him in the same crosshairs.
According to Axios, reporters contacted nearly every Democratic candidate running for a U.S. House seat considered potentially winnable for the party in 2026. Out of 113 candidates who responded through interviews or written statements, 20 said outright they would not vote for Jeffries as speaker or minority leader, while another five said they were likely to oppose him. Fifty-seven others declined to commit either way, calling it too early to decide or expressing doubts about Jeffries’ ideology, messaging, or leadership style.
Only 24 candidates said they would definitely support him, and seven more said they were leaning in his favor. These numbers, though far from a formal vote, suggest a simmering divide that could prove politically significant — especially if discontent among the Democratic base continues to grow through 2025.
Jeffries’ office has firmly rejected any suggestion that his standing has weakened. “Leader Jeffries is focused on battling Donald Trump, ending the Republican shutdown of the federal government, and addressing the crushing GOP health care crisis,” his spokesperson Justin Chermol said in a statement to Axios. Still, behind the scenes, some campaign strategists acknowledge the data reveals an unmistakable shift in the mood of the party.