Don Leonard isn't a House member yet. He's already rocking Capitol Hill.
Summary
Rep.-elect Don Leonard, a progressive Democrat from Ohio, is challenging House Democratic leaders before taking office. He says he may oppose Hakeem Jeffries for speaker unless Jeffries changes his position on Israel aid and supports a constitutional amendment to ban super PACs.Key Facts
- Leonard defeated Republican Rep. Mike Carey in an Ohio district that Donald Trump carried by 10 percentage points in 2024.
- Leonard is a professor of city planning and has not yet been sworn into the House.
- Leonard said he would look for a new House leader unless Jeffries changes his pro-Israel positions.
- In a social media video, Leonard said senior members warned him that opposing Jeffries could make his life difficult and hurt his reelection chances.
- House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar said he did not know which senior Democrats Leonard meant and predicted Jeffries would be overwhelmingly selected as speaker.
- Leonard said he wants Jeffries to support a constitutional amendment banning super PACs, political committees that can raise and spend unlimited sums independently of candidates.
- Leonard criticized the Democratic caucus's seniority system for limiting freshmen's access to sought-after committees.
- Leonard met Jeffries on Tuesday and asked to schedule a meeting to discuss his demands.
Read the Full Article
This is a fact-based summary from The Actual News. Click below to read the complete story directly from the original source.
