The House Democratic Caucus is a congressional caucus composed of all Democratic representatives in the United States House of Representatives, voting and non-voting, and is responsible for nominating and electing the Democratic Party leadership in the chamber. In its roles as a party conference, the caucus writes and enforces rules of conduct and discipline for its members, approves committee assignments, and serves as the primary forum for development of party policy and legislative priorities. It hosts weekly meetings for these purposes and to communicate the party's message to members.
House Democratic Caucus | |
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Part of | United States House of Representatives |
Floor Leader | Hakeem Jeffries |
Floor Whip | Katherine Clark |
Chair | Pete Aguilar (CA) |
Ideology | Liberalism Democratic Socialism |
Political position | Center-left |
Affiliation | Democratic Party |
Colors | Blue |
Seats | 213 / 435 |
Website | |
dems | |
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When the caucus holds the majority of seats, it is usually led by the speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives who is assisted on the floor by the House majority leader and the party's chief whip. When in the minority, it is led by the House minority leader, assisted by the chief whip. The caucus has a Caucus chairman and Caucus vice-chair (formerly called the secretary). For the 119th Congress, Hakeem Jeffries was elected as the minority leader, Katherine Clark became the minority whip and Pete Aguilar was chosen as the Caucus chairman.
Current hierarchy
Effective with the start of the 118th Congress, the chain of command conference leadership is as follows (from highest to lowest):
- Hakeem Jeffries (NY) as House Minority Leader (Caucus Leader)
- Katherine Clark (MA) as House Minority Whip
- Pete Aguilar (CA) as Caucus Chairman
- Ted Lieu (CA) as Caucus Vice Chair
Leadership history
The House Democratic Caucus, through its institutional antecedent, the Democratic-Republican caucus, was established on April 2, 1796, to stop a treaty with Great Britain which unfairly treated American sailors. For many years, through 1820, it nominated presidential candidates (before the era of national nominating conventions).
Since 2023, the House Democratic leader has been Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York (the first African-American congressional party leader in U.S. history). He was elected to succeed longtime Democratic leader and the first woman speaker of the House in U.S. history Nancy Pelosi.
At the Organizational Meeting on November 18, 2008, of the Democratic Caucus for the 111th Congress, Representative John B. Larson (D-Connecticut) was elected Caucus chairman by acclamation. The election was presided over by the outgoing chairman of the Democratic Caucus for the 110th Congress, former representative Rahm Emanuel (D-Illinois). Rep. Larson officially assumed the position of chairman on the first day of the 111th Congress, January 3, 2009.
After his election as chairman at the Organizational Meeting on November 18, Chairman Larson presided over the election of Rep. Xavier Becerra (D-California), who defeated Representative Marcy Kaptur of Ohio by a vote count of 175 to 67. Rep. Becerra likewise assumed his vice-chairmanship on January 3.
Leaders of the House Democratic Caucus
Congress | Leader | District | Took office | Left office | House Speaker | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
20th | ![]() | Andrew Stevenson (1784–1857) | Virginia 9 | December 3, 1827 | June 2, 1834 | Himself 1827–1834 | |
21st | |||||||
22nd | |||||||
23rd | Virginia 11 | ||||||
23rd | ![]() | John Bell (1796–1869) | Tennessee 7 | June 2, 1834 | March 4, 1835 | Himself 1834–1835 | |
24th | ![]() | James K. Polk (1795–1849) | Tennessee 9 | December 7, 1835 | March 4, 1839 | Himself 1835–1839 | |
25th | |||||||
26th | Unknown | Hunter 1839–1841 | |||||
27th | Unknown | White 1841–1843 | |||||
28th | ![]() | John Winston Jones (1791–1848) | Virginia 6 | December 4, 1843 | March 4, 1845 | Himself 1843–1845 | |
29th | ![]() | John Wesley Davis (1799–1859) | Indiana 6 | December 1, 1845 | March 4, 1847 | Himself 1845–1847 | |
30th | Unknown | Winthrop 1847–1849 | |||||
31st | ![]() | Howell Cobb (1815–1868) | Georgia 6 | December 22, 1849 | March 4, 1851 | Himself 1849–1851 | |
32nd | ![]() | Linn Boyd (1800–1859) | Kentucky 1 | December 1, 1851 | March 4, 1855 | Himself 1851–1855 | |
33rd | |||||||
34th | ![]() | George Washington Jones (1806–1884) | Tennessee 6 | March 4, 1855 | March 4, 1857 | Banks 1856–1857 | |
35th | ![]() | James Lawrence Orr (1822–1873) | South Carolina 5 | December 7, 1857 | March 3, 1859 | Himself 1857–1859 | |
36th | ![]() | George S. Houston (1811–1879) | Alabama 5 | March 4, 1859 | January 21, 1861 | Pennington 1860–1861 | |
37th | Unknown | Grow 1861–1863 | |||||
38th | Unknown | Colfax 1863–1869 | |||||
39th | Unknown | ||||||
40th | Unknown | ||||||
40th | Pomeroy 1869 | ||||||
41st | ![]() | Samuel J. Randall (1828–1890) | Pennsylvania 1 | March 4, 1869 | March 3, 1871 | Blaine 1869–1875 | |
![]() | William E. Niblack (1822–1893) | Indiana 1 | |||||
42nd | Unknown | ||||||
43rd | ![]() | William E. Niblack (1822–1893) | Indiana 1 | March 4, 1873 | March 3, 1875 | ||
44th | ![]() | Michael C. Kerr (1827–1876) | Indiana 3 | December 6, 1875 | August 19, 1876 | Himself 1875–1876 | |
44th | ![]() | Samuel J. Randall (1828–1890) | Pennsylvania 3 | December 4, 1876 | March 3, 1881 | Himself 1876–1881 | |
45th | |||||||
46th | |||||||
47th | Unknown | Keifer 1881–1883 | |||||
48th | ![]() | John G. Carlisle (1834–1910) | Kentucky 6 | December 3, 1883 | March 3, 1889 | Himself 1883–1889 | |
49th | |||||||
50th | |||||||
51st | ![]() | William S. Holman (1822–1897) | Indiana 4 | March 4, 1889 | March 3, 1891 | Reed 1889–1891 | |
52nd | ![]() | Charles Frederick Crisp (1845–1896) | Georgia 3 | December 8, 1891 | March 3, 1895 | Himself 1891–1895 | |
53rd | |||||||
54th | ![]() | David B. Culberson (1830–1900) | Texas 4 | March 4, 1895 | March 3, 1897 | Reed 1895–1899 | |
55th | ![]() | James D. Richardson (1843–1914) | Tennessee 5 | March 4, 1897 | March 3, 1903 | ||
56th | Henderson 1899–1903 | ||||||
57th | |||||||
58th | ![]() | John Sharp Williams (1854–1932) | Mississippi 8 | March 4, 1903 | March 3, 1909 | Cannon 1903–1911 | |
59th | |||||||
60th | |||||||
61st | ![]() | Champ Clark (1850–1921) | Missouri 9 | March 4, 1909 | March 2, 1921 | ||
62nd | Himself 1911–1919 | ||||||
63rd | |||||||
64th | |||||||
65th | |||||||
66th | Gillett 1919–1925 | ||||||
67th | ![]() | Claude Kitchin (1869–1923) | North Carolina 2 | March 4, 1921 | March 4, 1923 | ||
68th | ![]() | Finis J. Garrett (1875–1956) | Tennessee 9 | March 4, 1923 | March 3, 1929 | ||
69th | Longworth 1925–1931 | ||||||
70th | |||||||
71st | ![]() | John Nance Garner (1868–1967) | Texas 15 | March 4, 1929 | March 3, 1933 | ||
72nd | Himself 1931–1933 | ||||||
73rd | ![]() | Henry Thomas Rainey (1860–1934) | Illinois 20 | March 9, 1933 | August 19, 1934 | Himself 1933–1934 | |
74th | ![]() | Jo Byrns (1869–1936) | Tennessee 5 | January 3, 1935 | June 4, 1936 | Himself 1935–1936 | |
74th | ![]() | William B. Bankhead (1874–1940) | Alabama 7 | June 4, 1936 | September 15, 1940 | Himself 1936–1940 | |
75th | |||||||
76th | |||||||
76th | ![]() | Sam Rayburn (1882–1961) | Texas 4 | September 16, 1940 | November 16, 1961 | Himself 1940–1947 | |
77th | |||||||
78th | |||||||
79th | |||||||
80th | Martin 1947–1949 | ||||||
81st | Himself 1949–1953 | ||||||
82nd | |||||||
83rd | Martin 1953–1955 | ||||||
84th | Himself 1955–1961 | ||||||
85th | |||||||
86th | |||||||
87th | |||||||
87th | ![]() | John W. McCormack (1891–1980) | Massachusetts 12 | January 10, 1962 | January 3, 1971 | Himself 1962–1971 | |
88th | Massachusetts 9 | ||||||
89th | |||||||
90th | |||||||
91st | |||||||
92nd | ![]() | Carl Albert (1908–2000) | Oklahoma 3 | January 21, 1971 | January 3, 1977 | Himself 1971–1977 | |
93rd | |||||||
94th | |||||||
95th | ![]() | Tip O'Neill (1912–1994) | Massachusetts 8 | January 4, 1977 | January 3, 1987 | Himself 1977–1987 | |
96th | |||||||
97th | |||||||
98th | |||||||
99th | |||||||
100th | ![]() | Jim Wright (1922–2015) | Texas 12 | January 6, 1987 | June 6, 1989 | Himself 1987–1989 | |
101st | |||||||
101st | ![]() | Tom Foley (1929–2013) | Washington 5 | June 6, 1989 | January 3, 1995 | Himself 1989–1995 | |
102nd | |||||||
103rd | |||||||
104th | ![]() | Dick Gephardt (born 1941) | Missouri 3 | January 3, 1995 | January 3, 2003 | Gingrich 1995–1999 | |
105th | |||||||
106th | Hastert 1999–2007 | ||||||
107th | |||||||
108th | ![]() | Nancy Pelosi (born 1940) | California 8 | January 3, 2003 | January 3, 2023 | ||
109th | |||||||
110th | Herself 2007–2011 | ||||||
111th | |||||||
112th | Boehner 2011–2015 | ||||||
113th | California 12 | ||||||
114th | |||||||
Ryan 2015–2019 | |||||||
115th | |||||||
116th | Herself 2019–2023 | ||||||
117th | |||||||
118th | ![]() | Hakeem Jeffries (born 1970) | New York 8 | January 3, 2023 | Incumbent | McCarthy 2023 | |
McHenry 2023 | |||||||
Johnson 2023–present | |||||||
119th |
Notes
- Resigned from office and from Congress.
- Whoever held this office during this Congress is unknown.
- Alabama seceded from the Union on January 11, 1861, and Houston withdrew from Congress ten days later on January 21.
- Whoever held this office during this Congress is unknown, although it was likely vacant due to the American Civil War.
- Died in office.
- Resigned to become Vice President of the United States.
- This person served as speaker pro tempore.
List of chairs
Chairs are currently limited to two consecutive terms.
Officeholder | State | Congress | Term |
---|---|---|---|
James Thompson | Pennsylvania | 31st | 1849–1851 |
N/A | 32nd | 1851–1853 | |
Edson B. Olds | Ohio | 33rd | 1853–1855 |
George Washington Jones | Tennessee | 34th | 1855–1857 |
N/A | 35th | 1857–1859 | |
George S. Houston | Alabama | 36th | 1859–1861 |
N/A | 37th–40th | 1861–1869 | |
William E. Niblack, Samuel J. Randall | Indiana, Pennsylvania | 41st | 1869–1871 |
N/A | 42nd | 1871–1873 | |
William E. Niblack | Indiana | 43rd | 1873–1875 |
Lucius Q.C. Lamar | Mississippi | 44th | 1875–1877 |
Hiester Clymer | Pennsylvania | 45th | 1877–1879 |
John F. House | Tennessee | 46th | 1879–1881 |
N/A | 47th | 1881–1883 | |
George W. Geddes | Ohio | 48th | 1883–1885 |
J. Randolph Tucker | Virginia | 49th | 1885–1887 |
Samuel S. Cox | New York | 50th | 1887–1889 |
William S. Holman | Indiana | 51st–53rd | 1889–1895 |
David B. Culberson | Texas | 54th | 1895–1897 |
James D. Richardson | Tennessee | 55th | 1897–1899 |
James Hay | Virginia | 56th–58th | 1899–1905 |
Robert L. Henry | Texas | 59th | 1905–1907 |
Henry D. Clayton | Alabama | 60th–61st | 1907–1911 |
Albert S. Burleson | Texas | 62nd | 1911–1913 |
A. Mitchell Palmer | Pennsylvania | 63rd | 1913–1915 |
Edward W. Saunders | Virginia | 64th–65th | 1915–1919 |
Arthur G. DeWalt | Pennsylvania | 66th | 1919–1921 |
Sam Rayburn | Texas | 67th | 1921–1923 |
Henry T. Rainey | Illinois | 68th | 1923–1925 |
Charles D. Carter | Oklahoma | 69th | 1925–1927 |
Arthur H. Greenwood | Indiana | 70th | 1927–1929 |
David H. Kincheloe | Kentucky | 71st | 1929–1930 |
William W. Arnold | Illinois | 72nd | 1931–1933 |
Clarence F. Lea | California | 73rd | 1933–1935 |
Edward T. Taylor | Colorado | 74th | 1935–1937 |
Robert L. Doughton | North Carolina | 75th | 1937–1939 |
John W. McCormack | Massachusetts | 76th | 1939–1940 |
Richard M. Duncan | Missouri | 77th | 1941–1943 |
Harry R. Sheppard | California | 78th | 1943–1945 |
Jere Cooper | Tennessee | 79th | 1945–1947 |
Aime J. Forand | Rhode Island | 80th | 1947–1949 |
Francis E. Walter | Pennsylvania | 81st | 1949–1951 |
Jere Cooper | Tennessee | 82nd | 1951–1953 |
Wilbur D. Mills | Arkansas | 83rd | 1953–1955 |
John J. Rooney | New York | 84th | 1955–1957 |
Melvin Price | Illinois | 85th–86th | 1957–1961 |
Francis E. Walter | Pennsylvania | 87th–88th | 1961–1963 |
Albert Thomas | Texas | 88th | 1964–1965 |
Eugene Keogh | New York | 89th | 1965–1967 |
Dan Rostenkowski | Illinois | 90th–91st | 1967–1971 |
Olin Teague | Texas | 92nd–93rd | 1971–1975 |
Phillip Burton | California | 94th | 1976–1977 |
Thomas S. Foley | Washington | 95th–96th | 1977–1981 |
Gillis W. Long | Louisiana | 97th–98th | 1981–1985 |
Richard A. Gephardt | Missouri | 99th–100th | 1985–1989 |
William H. Gray III | Pennsylvania | 101st | 1989 |
Steny H. Hoyer | Maryland | 101st–103rd | 1989–1995 |
Vic Fazio | California | 104th–105th | 1995–1999 |
Martin Frost | Texas | 106th–107th | 1999–2003 |
Bob Menendez | New Jersey | 108th–109th | 2003–2006 |
James Clyburn | South Carolina | 109th | 2006–2007 |
Rahm Emanuel | Illinois | 110th | 2007–2009 |
John B. Larson | Connecticut | 111th–112th | 2009–2013 |
Xavier Becerra | California | 113th–114th | 2013–2017 |
Joe Crowley | New York | 115th | 2017–2019 |
Hakeem Jeffries | New York | 116th–117th | 2019–2023 |
Pete Aguilar | California | 118th–119th | 2023–present |
List of vice-chairs
The vice-chair of the Democratic Caucus ranks just below the Chair of the House Democratic Caucus. In addition to other duties, the vice-chair has a seat on the Steering and Policy Committee.
- Mary Rose Oakar (1987–1989)
- Steny Hoyer (1989)
- Vic Fazio (1989–1995)
- Barbara B. Kennelly (1995–1999)
- Bob Menendez (1999–2003)
- Jim Clyburn (2003–2006)
- John B. Larson (2006–2009)
- Xavier Becerra (2009–2012)
- Joe Crowley (2012–2017)
- Linda Sánchez (2017–2019)
- Katherine Clark (2019–2021)
- Pete Aguilar (2021–2023)
- Ted Lieu (2023–present)
List of secretaries
The office of secretary of the Democratic Caucus preceded the office of vice-chair. Until its elimination in 1987, the office of secretary was reserved for a female member of the House.
- Chase G. Woodhouse (1949–1951)
- Edna F. Kelly (1953–1957, 1964–1965)
- Leonor K. Sullivan (1959–1964, 1965–1975)
- Patsy Mink (1975–1977)
- Shirley Chisholm (1977–1981)
- Geraldine Ferraro (1981–1985)
- Mary Rose Oakar (1985–1987)
See also
- Republican Conference of the United States House of Representatives
- Congressional caucus
References
- "Rules of the Democratic Caucus". House Democrats. p. 5. Retrieved March 9, 2023.
Rule 1. Caucus Membership A. All Members of the House of Representatives, the Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico, and the Delegates from American Samoa, the District of Columbia, Guam, the Northern Mariana Islands, and the Virgin Islands who are Members of the Democratic Party shall be prima facie Members of the Democratic Caucus of the House of Representatives.
- Mizelle, Shawna (January 4, 2023). "Hakeem Jeffries to make history as the first Black lawmaker to lead a party in Congress | CNN Politics". CNN. Retrieved January 4, 2023.
- No clear records remain for this Congress.
- No clear records remain for this Congress.
- No clear records remain for these Congresses.
- Caucus records show Representative Niblack and Representative Randall as both having served as chairman during the Congress, but no dates of service were specified.
- Representative Fernando Wood of New York nominated the Democratic leadership slate in the House, but there is no other evidence to show he was elected caucus chairman.
- Available data show that Representative John F. House nominated Samuel J. Randall as the Democratic candidate for Speaker, the traditional role of the caucus chairman. Later data show W.S. Rosecrans issuing the next call for a Democratic Caucus meeting, but there is no evidence to suggest that Rosecrans was actually elected caucus chairman.
- Former Parliamentarian Clarence Cannon's notes state "Cox died during this Congress and [Representative James B.] McCreary evidently succeeded or acted for him." However, Representative Cox died on September 10, 1889, six months after the sine die adjournment of the 50th Congress and the convening of the 51st Congress.
- Caucus records are contradictory for this period. They show the election of Representative James Hay as chairman on January 19, 1911, but do not mention a resignation by incumbent chairman Clayton, nor do they specify that Hay was elected chairman for the new Congress. Later, they show the election of Representative Albert S. Burleson on April 11, 1911.
- Resigned from the House, October 5, 1930; there is no record of an election to fill the vacancy as caucus chair.
- Resigned following election as majority (floor) leader, September 16, 1940; records do not indicate that a successor was chosen during the remainder of the Congress.
- Died in office, May 31, 1963. Caucus chairman post vacant until January 21, 1964.
- Representative Hoyer was elected Caucus Chairman on June 21, 1989, following the June 14, 1989, election of Representative William (Bill) H. Gray III as Majority Whip.
- On January 16, 2006, Representative Menendez resigned from the House after he was appointed to the Senate.
- "Hakeem Jeffries defeats Barbara Lee in battle for Dem Caucus chair". Politico. November 28, 2018.
- "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on November 29, 2006. Retrieved December 21, 2006.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - "Center for American Women and Politics" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on March 26, 2009. Retrieved December 19, 2008.
- "Archived copy" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on February 4, 2011. Retrieved July 18, 2011.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - Congressional Women: On the Secretary position
External links
- Official site of the Democratic Caucus
Author: www.NiNa.Az
Publication date:
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The House Democratic Caucus is a congressional caucus composed of all Democratic representatives in the United States House of Representatives voting and non voting and is responsible for nominating and electing the Democratic Party leadership in the chamber In its roles as a party conference the caucus writes and enforces rules of conduct and discipline for its members approves committee assignments and serves as the primary forum for development of party policy and legislative priorities It hosts weekly meetings for these purposes and to communicate the party s message to members House Democratic CaucusPart ofUnited States House of RepresentativesFloor LeaderHakeem JeffriesFloor WhipKatherine ClarkChairPete Aguilar CA IdeologyLiberalism Democratic SocialismPolitical positionCenter leftAffiliationDemocratic PartyColors BlueSeats213 435Websitedems wbr govPolitics of the United StatesPolitical partiesElections When the caucus holds the majority of seats it is usually led by the speaker of the U S House of Representatives who is assisted on the floor by the House majority leader and the party s chief whip When in the minority it is led by the House minority leader assisted by the chief whip The caucus has a Caucus chairman and Caucus vice chair formerly called the secretary For the 119th Congress Hakeem Jeffries was elected as the minority leader Katherine Clark became the minority whip and Pete Aguilar was chosen as the Caucus chairman Current hierarchyEffective with the start of the 118th Congress the chain of command conference leadership is as follows from highest to lowest Hakeem Jeffries NY as House Minority Leader Caucus Leader Katherine Clark MA as House Minority Whip Pete Aguilar CA as Caucus Chairman Ted Lieu CA as Caucus Vice ChairLeadership historyThe House Democratic Caucus through its institutional antecedent the Democratic Republican caucus was established on April 2 1796 to stop a treaty with Great Britain which unfairly treated American sailors For many years through 1820 it nominated presidential candidates before the era of national nominating conventions Since 2023 the House Democratic leader has been Rep Hakeem Jeffries of New York the first African American congressional party leader in U S history He was elected to succeed longtime Democratic leader and the first woman speaker of the House in U S history Nancy Pelosi At the Organizational Meeting on November 18 2008 of the Democratic Caucus for the 111th Congress Representative John B Larson D Connecticut was elected Caucus chairman by acclamation The election was presided over by the outgoing chairman of the Democratic Caucus for the 110th Congress former representative Rahm Emanuel D Illinois Rep Larson officially assumed the position of chairman on the first day of the 111th Congress January 3 2009 After his election as chairman at the Organizational Meeting on November 18 Chairman Larson presided over the election of Rep Xavier Becerra D California who defeated Representative Marcy Kaptur of Ohio by a vote count of 175 to 67 Rep Becerra likewise assumed his vice chairmanship on January 3 Leaders of the House Democratic CaucusCongress Leader District Took office Left office House Speaker 20th Andrew Stevenson 1784 1857 Virginia 9 December 3 1827 June 2 1834 Himself 1827 1834 21st 22nd 23rd Virginia 11 23rd John Bell 1796 1869 Tennessee 7 June 2 1834 March 4 1835 Himself 1834 1835 24th James K Polk 1795 1849 Tennessee 9 December 7 1835 March 4 1839 Himself 1835 1839 25th 26th Unknown Hunter 1839 1841 27th Unknown White 1841 1843 28th John Winston Jones 1791 1848 Virginia 6 December 4 1843 March 4 1845 Himself 1843 1845 29th John Wesley Davis 1799 1859 Indiana 6 December 1 1845 March 4 1847 Himself 1845 1847 30th Unknown Winthrop 1847 1849 31st Howell Cobb 1815 1868 Georgia 6 December 22 1849 March 4 1851 Himself 1849 1851 32nd Linn Boyd 1800 1859 Kentucky 1 December 1 1851 March 4 1855 Himself 1851 1855 33rd 34th George Washington Jones 1806 1884 Tennessee 6 March 4 1855 March 4 1857 Banks 1856 1857 35th James Lawrence Orr 1822 1873 South Carolina 5 December 7 1857 March 3 1859 Himself 1857 1859 36th George S Houston 1811 1879 Alabama 5 March 4 1859 January 21 1861 Pennington 1860 1861 37th Unknown Grow 1861 1863 38th Unknown Colfax 1863 1869 39th Unknown 40th Unknown 40th Pomeroy 1869 41st Samuel J Randall 1828 1890 Pennsylvania 1 March 4 1869 March 3 1871 Blaine 1869 1875 William E Niblack 1822 1893 Indiana 1 42nd Unknown 43rd William E Niblack 1822 1893 Indiana 1 March 4 1873 March 3 1875 44th Michael C Kerr 1827 1876 Indiana 3 December 6 1875 August 19 1876 Himself 1875 1876 44th Samuel J Randall 1828 1890 Pennsylvania 3 December 4 1876 March 3 1881 Himself 1876 1881 45th 46th 47th Unknown Keifer 1881 1883 48th John G Carlisle 1834 1910 Kentucky 6 December 3 1883 March 3 1889 Himself 1883 1889 49th 50th 51st William S Holman 1822 1897 Indiana 4 March 4 1889 March 3 1891 Reed 1889 1891 52nd Charles Frederick Crisp 1845 1896 Georgia 3 December 8 1891 March 3 1895 Himself 1891 1895 53rd 54th David B Culberson 1830 1900 Texas 4 March 4 1895 March 3 1897 Reed 1895 1899 55th James D Richardson 1843 1914 Tennessee 5 March 4 1897 March 3 1903 56th Henderson 1899 1903 57th 58th John Sharp Williams 1854 1932 Mississippi 8 March 4 1903 March 3 1909 Cannon 1903 1911 59th 60th 61st Champ Clark 1850 1921 Missouri 9 March 4 1909 March 2 1921 62nd Himself 1911 1919 63rd 64th 65th 66th Gillett 1919 1925 67th Claude Kitchin 1869 1923 North Carolina 2 March 4 1921 March 4 1923 68th Finis J Garrett 1875 1956 Tennessee 9 March 4 1923 March 3 1929 69th Longworth 1925 1931 70th 71st John Nance Garner 1868 1967 Texas 15 March 4 1929 March 3 1933 72nd Himself 1931 1933 73rd Henry Thomas Rainey 1860 1934 Illinois 20 March 9 1933 August 19 1934 Himself 1933 1934 74th Jo Byrns 1869 1936 Tennessee 5 January 3 1935 June 4 1936 Himself 1935 1936 74th William B Bankhead 1874 1940 Alabama 7 June 4 1936 September 15 1940 Himself 1936 1940 75th 76th 76th Sam Rayburn 1882 1961 Texas 4 September 16 1940 November 16 1961 Himself 1940 1947 77th 78th 79th 80th Martin 1947 1949 81st Himself 1949 1953 82nd 83rd Martin 1953 1955 84th Himself 1955 1961 85th 86th 87th 87th John W McCormack 1891 1980 Massachusetts 12 January 10 1962 January 3 1971 Himself 1962 1971 88th Massachusetts 9 89th 90th 91st 92nd Carl Albert 1908 2000 Oklahoma 3 January 21 1971 January 3 1977 Himself 1971 1977 93rd 94th 95th Tip O Neill 1912 1994 Massachusetts 8 January 4 1977 January 3 1987 Himself 1977 1987 96th 97th 98th 99th 100th Jim Wright 1922 2015 Texas 12 January 6 1987 June 6 1989 Himself 1987 1989 101st 101st Tom Foley 1929 2013 Washington 5 June 6 1989 January 3 1995 Himself 1989 1995 102nd 103rd 104th Dick Gephardt born 1941 Missouri 3 January 3 1995 January 3 2003 Gingrich 1995 1999 105th 106th Hastert 1999 2007 107th 108th Nancy Pelosi born 1940 California 8 January 3 2003 January 3 2023 109th 110th Herself 2007 2011 111th 112th Boehner 2011 2015 113th California 12 114th Ryan 2015 2019 115th 116th Herself 2019 2023 117th 118th Hakeem Jeffries born 1970 New York 8 January 3 2023 Incumbent McCarthy 2023 McHenry 2023 Johnson 2023 present 119th Notes Resigned from office and from Congress Whoever held this office during this Congress is unknown Alabama seceded from the Union on January 11 1861 and Houston withdrew from Congress ten days later on January 21 Whoever held this office during this Congress is unknown although it was likely vacant due to the American Civil War Died in office Resigned to become Vice President of the United States This person served as speaker pro tempore List of chairsChairs are currently limited to two consecutive terms Officeholder State Congress Term James Thompson Pennsylvania 31st 1849 1851 N A 32nd 1851 1853 Edson B Olds Ohio 33rd 1853 1855 George Washington Jones Tennessee 34th 1855 1857 N A 35th 1857 1859 George S Houston Alabama 36th 1859 1861 N A 37th 40th 1861 1869 William E Niblack Samuel J Randall Indiana Pennsylvania 41st 1869 1871 N A 42nd 1871 1873 William E Niblack Indiana 43rd 1873 1875 Lucius Q C Lamar Mississippi 44th 1875 1877 Hiester Clymer Pennsylvania 45th 1877 1879 John F House Tennessee 46th 1879 1881 N A 47th 1881 1883 George W Geddes Ohio 48th 1883 1885 J Randolph Tucker Virginia 49th 1885 1887 Samuel S Cox New York 50th 1887 1889 William S Holman Indiana 51st 53rd 1889 1895 David B Culberson Texas 54th 1895 1897 James D Richardson Tennessee 55th 1897 1899 James Hay Virginia 56th 58th 1899 1905 Robert L Henry Texas 59th 1905 1907 Henry D Clayton Alabama 60th 61st 1907 1911 Albert S Burleson Texas 62nd 1911 1913 A Mitchell Palmer Pennsylvania 63rd 1913 1915 Edward W Saunders Virginia 64th 65th 1915 1919 Arthur G DeWalt Pennsylvania 66th 1919 1921 Sam Rayburn Texas 67th 1921 1923 Henry T Rainey Illinois 68th 1923 1925 Charles D Carter Oklahoma 69th 1925 1927 Arthur H Greenwood Indiana 70th 1927 1929 David H Kincheloe Kentucky 71st 1929 1930 William W Arnold Illinois 72nd 1931 1933 Clarence F Lea California 73rd 1933 1935 Edward T Taylor Colorado 74th 1935 1937 Robert L Doughton North Carolina 75th 1937 1939 John W McCormack Massachusetts 76th 1939 1940 Richard M Duncan Missouri 77th 1941 1943 Harry R Sheppard California 78th 1943 1945 Jere Cooper Tennessee 79th 1945 1947 Aime J Forand Rhode Island 80th 1947 1949 Francis E Walter Pennsylvania 81st 1949 1951 Jere Cooper Tennessee 82nd 1951 1953 Wilbur D Mills Arkansas 83rd 1953 1955 John J Rooney New York 84th 1955 1957 Melvin Price Illinois 85th 86th 1957 1961 Francis E Walter Pennsylvania 87th 88th 1961 1963 Albert Thomas Texas 88th 1964 1965 Eugene Keogh New York 89th 1965 1967 Dan Rostenkowski Illinois 90th 91st 1967 1971 Olin Teague Texas 92nd 93rd 1971 1975 Phillip Burton California 94th 1976 1977 Thomas S Foley Washington 95th 96th 1977 1981 Gillis W Long Louisiana 97th 98th 1981 1985 Richard A Gephardt Missouri 99th 100th 1985 1989 William H Gray III Pennsylvania 101st 1989 Steny H Hoyer Maryland 101st 103rd 1989 1995 Vic Fazio California 104th 105th 1995 1999 Martin Frost Texas 106th 107th 1999 2003 Bob Menendez New Jersey 108th 109th 2003 2006 James Clyburn South Carolina 109th 2006 2007 Rahm Emanuel Illinois 110th 2007 2009 John B Larson Connecticut 111th 112th 2009 2013 Xavier Becerra California 113th 114th 2013 2017 Joe Crowley New York 115th 2017 2019 Hakeem Jeffries New York 116th 117th 2019 2023 Pete Aguilar California 118th 119th 2023 presentList of vice chairsThe vice chair of the Democratic Caucus ranks just below the Chair of the House Democratic Caucus In addition to other duties the vice chair has a seat on the Steering and Policy Committee Mary Rose Oakar 1987 1989 Steny Hoyer 1989 Vic Fazio 1989 1995 Barbara B Kennelly 1995 1999 Bob Menendez 1999 2003 Jim Clyburn 2003 2006 John B Larson 2006 2009 Xavier Becerra 2009 2012 Joe Crowley 2012 2017 Linda Sanchez 2017 2019 Katherine Clark 2019 2021 Pete Aguilar 2021 2023 Ted Lieu 2023 present List of secretariesThe office of secretary of the Democratic Caucus preceded the office of vice chair Until its elimination in 1987 the office of secretary was reserved for a female member of the House Chase G Woodhouse 1949 1951 Edna F Kelly 1953 1957 1964 1965 Leonor K Sullivan 1959 1964 1965 1975 Patsy Mink 1975 1977 Shirley Chisholm 1977 1981 Geraldine Ferraro 1981 1985 Mary Rose Oakar 1985 1987 See alsoRepublican Conference of the United States House of Representatives Congressional caucusReferences Rules of the Democratic Caucus House Democrats p 5 Retrieved March 9 2023 Rule 1 Caucus Membership A All Members of the House of Representatives the Resident Commissioner from Puerto Rico and the Delegates from American Samoa the District of Columbia Guam the Northern Mariana Islands and the Virgin Islands who are Members of the Democratic Party shall be prima facie Members of the Democratic Caucus of the House of Representatives Mizelle Shawna January 4 2023 Hakeem Jeffries to make history as the first Black lawmaker to lead a party in Congress CNN Politics CNN Retrieved January 4 2023 No clear records remain for this Congress No clear records remain for this Congress No clear records remain for these Congresses Caucus records show Representative Niblack and Representative Randall as both having served as chairman during the Congress but no dates of service were specified Representative Fernando Wood of New York nominated the Democratic leadership slate in the House but there is no other evidence to show he was elected caucus chairman Available data show that Representative John F House nominated Samuel J Randall as the Democratic candidate for Speaker the traditional role of the caucus chairman Later data show W S Rosecrans issuing the next call for a Democratic Caucus meeting but there is no evidence to suggest that Rosecrans was actually elected caucus chairman Former Parliamentarian Clarence Cannon s notes state Cox died during this Congress and Representative James B McCreary evidently succeeded or acted for him However Representative Cox died on September 10 1889 six months after the sine die adjournment of the 50th Congress and the convening of the 51st Congress Caucus records are contradictory for this period They show the election of Representative James Hay as chairman on January 19 1911 but do not mention a resignation by incumbent chairman Clayton nor do they specify that Hay was elected chairman for the new Congress Later they show the election of Representative Albert S Burleson on April 11 1911 Resigned from the House October 5 1930 there is no record of an election to fill the vacancy as caucus chair Resigned following election as majority floor leader September 16 1940 records do not indicate that a successor was chosen during the remainder of the Congress Died in office May 31 1963 Caucus chairman post vacant until January 21 1964 Representative Hoyer was elected Caucus Chairman on June 21 1989 following the June 14 1989 election of Representative William Bill H Gray III as Majority Whip On January 16 2006 Representative Menendez resigned from the House after he was appointed to the Senate Hakeem Jeffries defeats Barbara Lee in battle for Dem Caucus chair Politico November 28 2018 Archived copy PDF Archived from the original PDF on November 29 2006 Retrieved December 21 2006 a href wiki Template Cite web title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint archived copy as title link Center for American Women and Politics PDF Archived from the original PDF on March 26 2009 Retrieved December 19 2008 Archived copy PDF Archived from the original PDF on February 4 2011 Retrieved July 18 2011 a href wiki Template Cite web title Template Cite web cite web a CS1 maint archived copy as title link Congressional Women On the Secretary positionExternal linksOfficial site of the Democratic Caucus