U.S. Rep. Shomari Figures (D-Mobile) is throwing his support behind U.S. Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) to be the next Speaker of the House.
Many grassroots progressives are calling on House Democrats to elect someone else to the position. An online petition against Jeffries has received more than a million signatures.
Figures believes the current House Minority Leader still has support from most members of the Democratic Caucus.
“I haven’t heard the backlash from members,” Figures told Spectrum News Alabama, “and at the end of the day, listen, he just navigated us through one of the more tumultuous two-year tenures in the history of this nation of any administration. Raised the most money any Democratic leader has ever raised. Just led us and positioned us to take on a historic majority here, the largest majority that either party has had this century. He just did that.”
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Figures defeated State Rep. Rhett Marques (R-Enterprise) in Alabama’s closely watched 2nd Congressional District election, keeping the seat in Democratic control. He credits his victory in part to help from Jeffries and other leaders in the party.
“So to sit here and say that he should not be the leader, I think, is reckless and irresponsible. I think people are not paying attention to what he’s actually done and the environment in which he was working,” Figures added. “He should absolutely be Speaker.”
Figures first won election to Congress in 2024 under a court-ordered map that gave Alabama a second district where Black voters had an opportunity to elect their preferred candidate.
Earlier this year, the U.S. Supreme Court cleared the way for the state to return to its Legislature-approved 2023 map, creating a more Republican-leaning district covering portions of Montgomery and the Wiregrass. Figures sought reelection after his district’s boundaries were changed.
Yaffee is a contributing writer to Yellowhammer News and hosts “The Yaffee Program” weekdays 9-11 a.m. on WVNN. You can follow him on X @Yaffee
