Ohio Rep.-Elect Says Democrats Threatened Him Over Jeffries Vote
(MENAFN) A newly elected Ohio Democrat who flipped a Republican-held seat accused senior members of his own party Tuesday of threatening to make his life “a living hell” and sink his reelection bid unless he backed Hakeem Jeffries for speaker.
Rep.-elect Don Leonard made the claim in a video posted on social media. He said he met Monday evening with senior Democratic lawmakers, who cautioned him against placing conditions on his support for Jeffries, the House minority leader.
Leonard said he had asked for commitments to pursue a constitutional amendment overturning the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling on campaign finance, and to end US support for Israel and the war in Iran.
The lawmakers told him “in no uncertain terms” that holding back his vote could bring political retaliation, Leonard said. He described the threatened consequences as “making my life a living hell for the next two years here in Washington” and guaranteeing he would lose his seat in 2028.
He did not name the lawmakers, and his allegations have not been independently verified.
“We kind of knew this stuff was coming. It’s part of the stuff you see in the movies,” Leonard said. He added that the pressure came from people who expected him to “wear the team jersey and be a good team player.”
Asked about the claims Tuesday, House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar said: “I don’t know what senior Democrats he’s talking about.” Aguilar reaffirmed his backing of Jeffries, saying there was “no question he will be the next speaker.”
Leonard unseated Republican incumbent Mike Carey in Ohio’s 15th Congressional District, which President Donald Trump won by roughly 10 percentage points in the 2024 presidential election.
The accusations land as resistance to Jeffries grows among some incoming and veteran Democrats, following the party’s capture of both chambers of Congress in the midterms. Several incoming Democrats have refused to commit to Jeffries, and a petition urging the party to pick a different speaker has gathered more than 1.1 million signatures. No Democrat has publicly announced a challenge to him.
House Democrats are set to hold leadership elections Nov. 18-19. The full House will choose its speaker when the 120th Congress convenes Jan. 3, 2027.
Rep.-elect Don Leonard made the claim in a video posted on social media. He said he met Monday evening with senior Democratic lawmakers, who cautioned him against placing conditions on his support for Jeffries, the House minority leader.
Leonard said he had asked for commitments to pursue a constitutional amendment overturning the Supreme Court’s Citizens United ruling on campaign finance, and to end US support for Israel and the war in Iran.
The lawmakers told him “in no uncertain terms” that holding back his vote could bring political retaliation, Leonard said. He described the threatened consequences as “making my life a living hell for the next two years here in Washington” and guaranteeing he would lose his seat in 2028.
He did not name the lawmakers, and his allegations have not been independently verified.
“We kind of knew this stuff was coming. It’s part of the stuff you see in the movies,” Leonard said. He added that the pressure came from people who expected him to “wear the team jersey and be a good team player.”
Asked about the claims Tuesday, House Democratic Caucus Chair Pete Aguilar said: “I don’t know what senior Democrats he’s talking about.” Aguilar reaffirmed his backing of Jeffries, saying there was “no question he will be the next speaker.”
Leonard unseated Republican incumbent Mike Carey in Ohio’s 15th Congressional District, which President Donald Trump won by roughly 10 percentage points in the 2024 presidential election.
The accusations land as resistance to Jeffries grows among some incoming and veteran Democrats, following the party’s capture of both chambers of Congress in the midterms. Several incoming Democrats have refused to commit to Jeffries, and a petition urging the party to pick a different speaker has gathered more than 1.1 million signatures. No Democrat has publicly announced a challenge to him.
House Democrats are set to hold leadership elections Nov. 18-19. The full House will choose its speaker when the 120th Congress convenes Jan. 3, 2027.
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