House Democrats flooded with calls urging against Jeffries for speaker

Democratic House members and members-elect are being bombarded with calls and emails urging them not to elect Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York as speaker. More than a dozen lawmakers and aides told Axios about the flood ¹.

Democrats won the House in a landslide on Tuesday, Nov. 3. The win is set to give them a majority of more than 250 seats, and Jeffries is in pole position to become speaker ¹.

What offices are hearing

One Democratic chief of staff said their office had received "about 300" calls. Another House Democrat counted between 300 and 400 ¹.

The second lawmaker said a post on X by actor Mark Ruffalo calling for "a new speaker" has driven much of the outreach ¹. The chief of staff said many callers want Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland to get the job ¹.

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The volume varies. Some members said progressives tend to get more calls than moderates ¹.

Why Jeffries is still the favorite

House Democrats say Jeffries remains the overwhelming favorite. Axios reported that nobody has offered even a hint that they would run against him ¹.

Still, Axios reported persistent skepticism from incoming members, and not only from the progressive "Bloc," a group of roughly a dozen members. Many had expected the Bloc to use a small majority to extract concessions from Jeffries ¹.

Newsweek reported that a petition urging Democrats to pick someone else has drawn hundreds of thousands of signatures. Its creator, Nicole Whitted, cited questions about "transparency, political influence, and whose interests Democratic leadership is ultimately serving" ².

Her complaints include Jeffries' private August meeting with Jared Kushner, President Trump's son-in-law. The two discussed housing, immigration and the cost of living, and Newsweek found no evidence the meeting was tied to campaign money ².

Israel and campaign money

Jeffries' support for Israel is one dividing line. OpenSecrets, a campaign-finance tracker, lists $49,565 in the 2025-2026 cycle tied to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a pro-Israel lobbying group. It says that is mostly individual donors' money, plus $11,700 directly from AIPAC's political action committee ².

Colorado Rep.-elect Melat Kiros, a democratic socialist, said she would not back "anyone for leadership who takes corporate PAC money" ². A Civiqs tracking survey through Nov. 4 found 23% of registered voters viewed Jeffries favorably and 56% unfavorably ².

anyone for leadership who takes corporate PAC money

What happens next: Jeffries is expected to become speaker in January, when Democratic control gives the party more power over spending and foreign policy oversight ². No challenger has emerged so far ¹.

That matters because a new majority needs near-unity on its first big votes. The calls do not threaten Jeffries' path yet, but they show how much pressure from the base members face as they take power ¹.

The Record

1. Nov 3, 2026Democrats win the House majority in the midterm elections, set for more than 250 seats ¹.
2. Nov 4, 2026A Civiqs tracking survey, with data through this date, finds 23% of registered voters view Jeffries favorably and 56% unfavorably ².
3. Nov 6, 2026Axios reports more than a dozen lawmakers and aides describing floods of calls against electing Jeffries speaker ¹.

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<h2>House Democrats flooded with calls urging against Jeffries for speaker</h2> <p><em>By The GOP Files Capitol Desk. This article first appeared on <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/house-democrats-flooded-with-calls-urging-against-jeffries-for-speaker">The GOP Files</a> on Friday, November 6, 2026.</em></p> <p>Democratic House members and members-elect are being bombarded with calls and emails urging them not to elect Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York as speaker. More than a dozen lawmakers and aides told Axios about the flood .</p> <p>Democrats won the House in a landslide on Tuesday, Nov. 3. The win is set to give them a majority of more than 250 seats, and Jeffries is in pole position to become speaker .</p> <h2>What offices are hearing</h2> <p>One Democratic chief of staff said their office had received &quot;about 300&quot; calls. Another House Democrat counted between 300 and 400 .</p> <p>The second lawmaker said a post on X by actor Mark Ruffalo calling for &quot;a new speaker&quot; has driven much of the outreach . The chief of staff said many callers want Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland to get the job .</p> <p>The volume varies. Some members said progressives tend to get more calls than moderates .</p> <h2>Why Jeffries is still the favorite</h2> <p>House Democrats say Jeffries remains the overwhelming favorite. Axios reported that nobody has offered even a hint that they would run against him .</p> <p>Still, Axios reported persistent skepticism from incoming members, and not only from the progressive &quot;Bloc,&quot; a group of roughly a dozen members. Many had expected the Bloc to use a small majority to extract concessions from Jeffries .</p> <p>Newsweek reported that a petition urging Democrats to pick someone else has drawn hundreds of thousands of signatures. Its creator, Nicole Whitted, cited questions about &quot;transparency, political influence, and whose interests Democratic leadership is ultimately serving&quot; .</p> <p>Her complaints include Jeffries&#39; private August meeting with Jared Kushner, President Trump&#39;s son-in-law. The two discussed housing, immigration and the cost of living, and Newsweek found no evidence the meeting was tied to campaign money .</p> <h2>Israel and campaign money</h2> <p>Jeffries&#39; support for Israel is one dividing line. OpenSecrets, a campaign-finance tracker, lists $49,565 in the 2025-2026 cycle tied to the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), a pro-Israel lobbying group. It says that is mostly individual donors&#39; money, plus $11,700 directly from AIPAC&#39;s political action committee .</p> <p>Colorado Rep.-elect Melat Kiros, a democratic socialist, said she would not back &quot;anyone for leadership who takes corporate PAC money&quot; . A Civiqs tracking survey through Nov. 4 found 23% of registered voters viewed Jeffries favorably and 56% unfavorably .</p> <blockquote><p>anyone for leadership who takes corporate PAC money</p><p>&mdash; Melat Kiros, Representative-elect, D-Colo.</p></blockquote> <p>What happens next: Jeffries is expected to become speaker in January, when Democratic control gives the party more power over spending and foreign policy oversight . No challenger has emerged so far .</p> <p>That matters because a new majority needs near-unity on its first big votes. The calls do not threaten Jeffries&#39; path yet, but they show how much pressure from the base members face as they take power .</p> <p><em>Read the original, with every source linked, at <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/story/house-democrats-flooded-with-calls-urging-against-jeffries-for-speaker">thegopfiles.com</a>. Republished under The GOP Files' <a href="https://thegopfiles.com/republish">free republishing terms</a>.</em></p> <img src="https://thegopfiles.com/api/rp/house-democrats-flooded-with-calls-urging-against-jeffries-for-speaker.gif" alt="" width="1" height="1" style="border:0;width:1px;height:1px">

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Sources

1. Axios, “House Democrats "inundated" with calls telling them not to elect Jeffries speaker” (2026-11-06). axios.com/2026/11/06/jeffries-speaker-democrats-house-calls-
2. Newsweek, “How Much Has Hakeem Jeffries Received From AIPAC? Israel Stance Explained” (2026-11-06). newsweek.com/hakeem-jeffries-aipac-israel-house-speaker-chuc

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