Jeffries made the announcement in a letter to fellow House Democrats. "We must now deliver the dramatic change the American people are demanding in the majority," he wrote, adding that "every single member of our majority will play a meaningful role." He named three areas for action: "Affordability," "Accountability" and "American Values." His first priorities are reversing Republican policies on food stamps and Medicaid, ending President Donald Trump's tariffs and halting the war with Iran.

Jeffries also pledged to use Congress' oversight powers against the administration. Senior Democrats on the House Oversight and Judiciary committees plan to use subpoenas to investigate the White House and its allies, and Jeffries has said Democrats will "hold the crooks accountable." He has also said he does not want a campaign of retribution. Speaking to MS NOW after the results came in, he said Democrats will not seek "revenge" against Trump and will focus on "solving problems," chiefly the high cost of living. On possible investigations, he said Democrats would "follow the facts, apply the law, be guided by the Constitution, and accept the consequences."

The size of the majority is still being counted. One tally had Democrats at about 240 of the House's 435 seats by the time of the announcement. Another, from earlier in the count, had them leading Republicans 204 to 123 and approaching the 218 needed for control. Democrats have also locked down at least 52 of the Senate's 100 seats and won governorships in states including Texas, Ohio and Georgia. On election night Tuesday, Jeffries told voters and volunteers at Democratic headquarters, "Today begins the great American renewal... We are going to work tirelessly to deliver the transformative change that you deserve."

Jeffries has served in Congress since 2013 and has led the House Democratic caucus since 2022, when Nancy Pelosi of California stepped down as leader. He first became widely known for criminal justice work, including the bipartisan First Step Act, which passed during Trump's first term. Pelosi, now Democratic Leader Emerita, pointed to the milestone his bid represents. The Speaker is second in the line of presidential succession, after the vice president. Republican Rep. Mike Johnson has held the job since October 2023.

Jeffries is not expected to face significant opposition given the size of the Democratic majority, but he does not yet have every vote locked up. Several incoming Democrats, among them progressives and members from Republican-leaning districts, have not committed to backing him. The caucus is large and divided, with its far-left wing at odds with Jeffries' own rejection of hard-left democratic socialism. Earlier this year he drew criticism from within the party for meeting privately with Jared Kushner to discuss affordability, a meeting he defended as necessary to get results. Jeffries has noted that the majority is large enough for him to lose some hard-left members and still reach the simple majority of votes needed in January.