The *continued* rise of "Hakeem" and "Tish": from Central Brooklyn to national prominence (and, likely, new positions)

I wrote a post in January 2020 headlined The rise of "Hakeem" and "Tish": from Central Brooklyn to national prominence. 

It already deserves an update.

About Letitia James

James, who Gov. Andrew Cuomo supported for Attorney General over a more left-wing challenger, issued the convincing report documenting evidence of Cuomo's alleged sexual harassment, which led the governor to step down. That led to salutes from some who'd questioned James's independence.

Cuomo's departure puts little-known Lt. Gov Kathy Hochul, from western New York, in office.  Hochul said she'd run for the full term in 2022, so she's likely choosing a new Lt. Gov. from downstate, possibly a Black man who would who would it harder for James to consolidate support.

There's always the wild card--suggested here--that Cuomo, who retains a huge war chest, could enter the race at the last minute, especially since the Legislature has given up impeachment, which would bar him from future office.

If James chooses to aim for Governor, Brooklyn Democratic Party Chair Rodneyse Bichotte told the Brooklyn Paper that she'd run in the Democratic primary unopposed. That's questionable, and Hochul can raise significant funds by virtue of being in office, though James has far greater downstate prominence.

Perhaps James will have calculated that (been assured?) that, say, Hochul would run for only one more term, allowing James to gain more exposure and experience in statewide office, easily winning re-election as Attorney General and positioning herself for future campaigns.

There's a lot of important work to do in the AG's office, too. So James is in the driver's seat. She has a statewide profile too, and a downstate base.

About Hakeem Jeffries

Back then I noted how former Asssemblymember Hakeem Jeffries was "fifth in the House Democratic leadership" and was "poised to rise even higher once senior leaders retire or step aside."

So consider The Atlantic's 8/10/21 article by Edward Isaac Dovere, The Next Face of the Democratic Party, with the subheading "Hakeem Jeffries could end up being the first Black speaker of the House—but not all progressives are happy about his rise."

Essentially, the capable and popular Jeffries has a lock on the speakership, once Nancy Pelosi decides to leave, though speaks carefully about ambition. 

Dovere suggests that the "policy differences between [progressives and Jeffries] are hard to see," but relate to his non-endorsement of the Green New Deal, though he does talk about climate change and is "a reliable vote for nearly every progressive bill." (I think there are also differences on policy toward Israel and charter schools, for example.)

From the article:

A few days after meeting Jeffries in Brooklyn, I texted Waleed Shahid, the communications director for the Justice Democrats, the group that backed Ocasio-Cortez and is most identified with primarying longtime Democratic incumbents to jolt the party left. What’s the problem with Jeffries? I asked. Shahid sent a link to Jeffries’s political donations, which lists his top donors’ professions as securities and investment and real estate. I asked Jeffries about that. “It’s time for the virtue signalers to stop shadowboxing on social media,” he told me. “Recruit a candidate, put on the boxing gloves, get in the ring, and we can work this out on the ground in the Eighth Congressional District.”

That hasn't happened, and Jeffries claims that the (narrow) victory of Crystal Hudson in the 35th Council District, succeeding Laurie Cumbo (in James's old seat), over Democratic Socialists of America-endorsed Michael Hollingsworth signaled success. That said, Hudson's victory didn't necessarily rely on Jeffries' core constituency.