By Eric Mack | Sunday, 02 November 2025 03:31 PM EST
While many in the media and progressive movement celebrate New York democratic socialist mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani as the future of the Democratic Party, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., says not so fast. He maintains that the future of the party lies with the House Democratic Caucus.
“No, I think the future of the Democratic Party is going to fall – as far as we’re concerned – relative to the House Democratic Caucus and members who are doing a great work all across the country, as it relates to our need to both take back control of the House, but, in doing so, make sure that we’re communicating to the American people, like, we understand, you deserve better than the country that you have received,” Jeffries told CNN’s “State of the Union” on Sunday.
The response came after host Jake Tapper pressed Jeffries on whether Mamdani was the party’s future. Instead of answering directly, Jeffries shifted focus to criticizing President Donald Trump and Republican policies.
“Donald Trump and Republicans have gone way too far and have failed to deliver anything meaningful for the American people,” Jeffries said. “As Democrats, we’re going to focus on lowering the high cost of living, fixing our broken healthcare system that Republicans continue to make worse with their toxic policies, and cleaning up corruption in Congress, the courts, and within the administration with Donald Trump running the largest pay-to-play scheme in the history of the country.”
Tapper, a former Democrat operative, called out Jeffries for avoiding the question. “Your endorsement took a long time,” Tapper said. “Schumer still has not endorsed him. Are you concerned about Republicans using him as a lightning rod to hurt your ability to win back the House in 2026?”
Jeffries responded by deflecting again, framing the election’s outcome as tied to Republican failures rather than Mamdani’s influence. “The lightning rod in terms of what’s going to impact the ability of either side to win control of the House or hold control of the House in 2026 is going to be the failure of Republicans to actually deliver on the promises they’ve made and to actively make life worse for everyday Americans,” Jeffries said.
The comments came ahead of Tuesday’s state and local elections, as Democrats monitor races in New York, Virginia, and New Jersey for insights into voter sentiment amid federal shutdowns and economic challenges.
