First posted on Instagram
Representative-elect Don Leonard of Ohio said in a video posted on Monday that senior members of the House Democratic caucus warned him there would be consequences if he refused to support Representative Hakeem Jeffries for Speaker of the House, telling him that his decision would, in his words, "basically mean both making my life a living hell for the next two years here in Washington, as well as being sure to lose my election in two years."
Leonard said the senior members told him "in no uncertain terms" to back Jeffries regardless of whether the Democratic leader agreed to address the issues Leonard has raised. He said he met with them on Monday. "It's part of the stuff you see in the movies," he said. "It's a whole other thing when it's in person, by people who actually care about you and are cheering for you but expect you to wear the team jersey and be a good team player."
Leonard is conditioning his vote for Jeffries on two things: a vote on a constitutional amendment to overturn the Citizens United decision, and an end to United States support for Israel and the war in Iran. In an interview with Joy Reid, he put it this way: "So unless Speaker Jeffries is willing to commit to enforcing our nation's laws, like the Leahy Law, against Israeli genocide in Gaza; unless the speaker is willing to get to the heart of this crisis, which is Citizens United, he will not have my vote."
Leonard flipped Ohio's 15th Congressional District in the November 3 midterm elections, a seat President Donald Trump carried by 10 points in 2024. Leonard won by more than six points, unseating Republican Representative Mike Carey. He has not yet been sworn in. The new Congress convenes on January 3, 2027, and the House will vote for Speaker next Wednesday.
Leonard said he received a letter from Jeffries that "still left several of my constituents' questions unanswered." He said he wants to meet with Jeffries to discuss his constituents' priorities and "help him be a better speaker." "At the end of the day, the big-D Democratic Party needs some little-d democracy," he said. "I'm just a stubborn SOB, so we'll continue meeting with our fellow members of Congress and members elect and try to see if we can build support for what we're trying to do here."
Leonard did not name the senior Democrats he said pressed him, and he did not say specifically how his life in Washington would be made difficult. His video, titled "To speaker or not to speaker?", was posted on Monday and shared widely on Tuesday.
House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar, asked about Leonard's account on Tuesday, said he did not know which senior Democrats Leonard was referring to. "I'm voting for Hakeem Jeffries, and there is no question he will be the next speaker," Aguilar said, crediting Jeffries with playing "an integral part" in the Democrats' midterm sweep. Jeffries, asked on Monday whether he has the votes, said: "I guess we'll find out next Wednesday." Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez told Drop Site News that Jeffries faces an "unopposed race" and that a defection effort big enough to matter would need dozens of votes, which she called "unrealistic."
Jeffries is expected to win the speakership. Democrats won at least 254 House seats, according to the Associated Press, with 16 races still uncalled, a majority large enough that he can afford at least three dozen defections. Two other incoming Democrats, Representatives-elect Darializa Avila Chevalier and Jamie Ager, have also declined to commit to Jeffries, and a Change.org petition urging House Democrats to choose a different speaker has passed one million signatures.