Hakeem S. Jeffries
DemocratU.S. Representative, NY-8| Age | 55 (b. 1970-08-04) |
| Gender | Male |
| In office since | 2013-01-03 (~13 yrs) |
| Race / ethnicity | African American |
| Religion | Baptist (Christian) |
| Education | Midwood High School (1988); B.A. Political Science, Binghamton University (1992); M.P.P., Georgetown University (1994); J.D. magna cum laude, New York University School of Law (1997) |
| Prior occupation | Attorney (corporate litigator). Law clerk to U.S. District Judge Harold Baer Jr. (1997); litigation associate at Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison (1998-2004); in-house litigation counsel for Viacom and later CBS (2004-2006). |
| Military service | No |
| Birthplace | Brooklyn, New York |
| Marital status | Married — Kennisandra Arciniegas-Jeffries |
| Children | 2 |
| Residence | Prospect Heights, Brooklyn, New York |
| Notable relatives | Brother Hasan Kwame Jeffries (history professor, Ohio State University); uncle Leonard Jeffries (former Black studies professor at City College of New York). Neither is an elected politician. |
Pending research: languages · openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| First elected | 2012 |
| Previous offices | New York State Assembly, 57th District (2007-2012) |
| Caucuses | Congressional Black Caucus · Congressional Progressive Caucus (former member) · Congressional Ukrainian Caucus · Congressional Taiwan Caucus · Black Maternal Health Caucus |
| Leadership | House Minority Leader (2023-present) · Leader of the House Democratic Caucus (2023-present) · Chair, House Democratic Caucus (2019-2023) · Co-Chair, House Democratic Policy and Communications Committee (2017-2019) · Whip, Congressional Black Caucus |
| Ideology | Self-describes as a 'Black progressive Democrat'; rated more liberal than most House members by DW-NOMINATE/GovTrack analyses, though he has positioned himself as a moderate-to-progressive bridge-builder and declined to back the Green New Deal. |
| Signature legislation | First Step Act (criminal-justice reform, 2018, bipartisan) · Music Modernization Act (2018, bipartisan) · Slain Officer Family Support Act (2015) |
Financial
Net worth: disclosed $-834,976–$401,995 (2024) · estimate
| HSBC bank account(s) | other · $50,001–$100,000 · 2024 |
| SPDR S&P Dividend ETF (SDY) | fund · $50,001–$100,000 · 2024 |
| Northwestern Mutual whole life insurance policies | other · –$100,000 · 2024 |
Top donors: Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison (employees) (over $300,000 (career)) · Apollo Global Management (employees)
Top industries: Lawyers/Law Firms · Securities & Investment
Scandals & crimes ledger
No recorded incidents. Under the adjudicated-only methodology, an entry appears only when a court or official body has formally acted and the record is cited.