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.
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 119th Congress, the chain of command conference leadership is as follows (from highest to lowest):
Hakeem Jeffries (NY–8) as House Minority Leader (Caucus Leader) Katherine Clark (MA–5) as House Minority Whip Pete Aguilar (CA–33) as Caucus Chairman Ted Lieu (CA–36) 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 Virginia 9 Himself 21st 22nd 23rd Virginia 11 23rd John Bell Tennessee 7 Himself 24th James K. Polk Tennessee 9 Himself 25th 26th Unknown Hunter 27th Unknown White 28th John Winston Jones Virginia 6 Himself 29th John Wesley Davis Indiana 6 Himself 30th Unknown Winthrop 31st Howell Cobb Georgia 6 Himself 32nd Linn Boyd Kentucky 1 Himself 33rd 34th George Washington Jones Tennessee 6 Banks 35th James Lawrence Orr South Carolina 5 Himself 36th George S. Houston Alabama 5 Pennington 37th Unknown Grow 38th Unknown Colfax 39th Unknown 40th Unknown 40th Pomeroy 41st Samuel J. Randall Pennsylvania 1 Blaine William E. Niblack Indiana 1 42nd Unknown 43rd William E. Niblack Indiana 1 44th Michael C. Kerr Indiana 3 Himself 44th Samuel J. Randall Pennsylvania 3 Himself 45th 46th 47th Unknown Keifer 48th John G. Carlisle Kentucky 6 Himself 49th 50th 51st William S. Holman Indiana 4 Reed 52nd Charles Frederick Crisp Georgia 3 Himself 53rd 54th David B. Culberson Texas 4 Reed 55th James D. Richardson Tennessee 5 56th Henderson 57th 58th John Sharp Williams Mississippi 8 Cannon 59th 60th 61st Champ Clark Missouri 9 62nd Himself 63rd 64th 65th 66th Gillett 67th Claude Kitchin North Carolina 2 68th Finis J. Garrett Tennessee 9 69th Longworth 70th 71st John Nance Garner Texas 15 72nd Himself 73rd Henry Thomas Rainey Illinois 20 Himself 74th Jo Byrns Tennessee 5 Himself 74th William B. Bankhead Alabama 7 Himself 75th 76th 76th Sam Rayburn Texas 4 Himself 77th 78th 79th 80th Martin 81st Himself 82nd 83rd Martin 84th Himself 85th 86th 87th 87th John W. McCormack Massachusetts 12 Himself 88th Massachusetts 9 89th 90th 91st 92nd Carl Albert Oklahoma 3 Himself 93rd 94th 95th Tip O'Neill Massachusetts 8 Himself 96th 97th 98th 99th 100th Jim Wright Texas 12 Himself 101st 101st Tom Foley Washington 5 Himself 102nd 103rd 104th Dick Gephardt Missouri 3 Gingrich 105th 106th Hastert 107th 108th Nancy Pelosi California 8 109th 110th Herself 111th 112th Boehner 113th California 12 114th Ryan 115th 116th Herself 117th 118th Hakeem Jeffries New York 8 Incumbent McCarthy McHenry Johnson 119th
Notes
List of chairs Chairs are currently limited to two consecutive terms. OfficeholderStateCongressTermJames ThompsonPennsylvania31st1849–1851N/ANo clear records remain for this Congress.32nd1851–1853Edson B. OldsOhio33rd1853–1855George Washington JonesTennessee34th1855–1857N/ANo clear records remain for this Congress.35th1857–1859George S. HoustonAlabama36th1859–1861N/ANo clear records remain for these Congresses.37th–40th1861–1869William E. Niblack,Samuel J. RandallCaucus records show Representative Niblack and Representative Randall as both having served as chairman during the Congress, but no dates of service were specified.Indiana,Pennsylvania41st1869–1871N/ARepresentative 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.42nd1871–1873William E. NiblackIndiana43rd1873–1875Lucius Q.C. LamarMississippi44th1875–1877Hiester ClymerPennsylvania45th1877–1879John F. HouseTennessee46th1879–1881N/AAvailable 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.47th1881–1883George W. GeddesOhio48th1883–1885J. Randolph TuckerVirginia49th1885–1887Samuel S. CoxFormer 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.New York50th1887–1889William S. HolmanIndiana51st–53rd1889–1895David B. CulbersonTexas54th1895–1897James D. RichardsonTennessee55th1897–1899James HayVirginia56th–58th1899–1905Robert L. HenryTexas59th1905–1907Henry D. ClaytonCaucus 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.Alabama60th–61st1907–1911Albert S. BurlesonTexas62nd1911–1913A. Mitchell PalmerPennsylvania63rd1913–1915Edward W. SaundersVirginia64th–65th1915–1919Arthur G. DeWaltPennsylvania66th1919–1921Sam RayburnTexas67th1921–1923Henry T. RaineyIllinois68th1923–1925Charles D. CarterOklahoma69th1925–1927Arthur H. GreenwoodIndiana70th1927–1929David H. KincheloeKentucky71st1929–1930Resigned from the House, October 5, 1930; there is no record of an election to fill the vacancy as caucus chair.William W. ArnoldIllinois72nd1931–1933Clarence F. LeaCalifornia73rd1933–1935Edward T. TaylorColorado74th1935–1937Robert L. DoughtonNorth Carolina75th1937–1939John W. McCormackMassachusetts76th1939–1940Resigned following election as majority (floor) leader, September 16, 1940; records do not indicate that a successor was chosen during the remainder of the Congress.Richard M. DuncanMissouri77th1941–1943Harry R. SheppardCalifornia78th1943–1945Jere CooperTennessee79th1945–1947Aime J. ForandRhode Island80th1947–1949Francis E. WalterPennsylvania81st1949–1951Jere CooperTennessee82nd1951–1953Wilbur D. MillsArkansas83rd1953–1955John J. RooneyNew York84th1955–1957Melvin PriceIllinois85th–86th1957–1961Francis E. WalterDied in office, May 31, 1963. Caucus chairman post vacant until January 21, 1964.Pennsylvania87th–88th1961–1963Albert ThomasTexas88th1964–1965Eugene KeoghNew York89th1965–1967Dan RostenkowskiIllinois90th–91st1967–1971Olin TeagueTexas92nd–93rd1971–1975Phillip BurtonCalifornia94th1976–1977Thomas S. FoleyWashington95th–96th1977–1981Gillis W. LongLouisiana97th–98th1981–1985Richard A. GephardtMissouri99th–100th1985–1989William H. Gray IIIPennsylvania101st1989Steny H. HoyerMaryland101st–103rd1989–1995Representative 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.Vic FazioCalifornia104th–105th1995–1999Martin FrostTexas106th–107th1999–2003Bob MenendezNew Jersey108th–109th2003–2006On January 16, 2006, Representative Menendez resigned from the House after he was appointed to the Senate.James ClyburnSouth Carolina109th2006–2007Rahm EmanuelIllinois110th2007–2009John B. LarsonConnecticut111th–112th2009–2013Xavier BecerraCalifornia113th–114th2013–2017Joe CrowleyNew York115th2017–2019Hakeem JeffriesNew York116th–117th2019–2023Pete AguilarCalifornia118th–119th2023–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.Congressional Women: On the Secretary position
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 House Republican Conference Senate Democratic Caucus Senate Republican Conference
References
External links Official site of the Democratic Caucus