Hakeem Jeffries is closer than ever to the speaker’s gavel. Is he ready?

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House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) is in perhaps the best position he could be in heading into the November elections, as polling shows the battleground map widening for Democrats in unexpected places.

The polling, if correct, is setting Democrats up for a notable victory this November. Even still, Jeffries has struggled to escape chatter over his future atop the Democratic caucus, and whether he will ultimately wield the speaker’s gavel for the final two years of the Trump administration.

Six candidates aligned with the Democratic Socialists of America and progressives have declined to back Jeffries, including New York’s Darializa Avila Chevalier and Claire Valdez, as well as New Jersey’s Adam Hamawy.

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