Neguse seeks new leadership position in US House after Democrats secure majority 

Days after securing a fifth victory to represent Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives, Rep. Joe Neguse is announcing his next candidacy.

The Colorado Democrat announced in a letter to his colleagues Thursday that he was running to serve as the assistant speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives in the 120th Congress. 

“As someone who represents a large rural, suburban, and urban district (with agricultural communities extending all the way to the Wyoming border), I’ve long worked hard to effectively serve a broad constituency — and I’ve adopted that same approach as a member of the leadership team, ensuring voices from across our caucus and the ideological spectrum are elevated, included, and heard,” he wrote.

Neguse currently serves as the chamber’s assistant Democratic leader, and served as chair of House Democrats’ litigation task force — after being tapped for the role by New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, who is running for House Speaker— in the 119th Congress. 

A news release from Neguse said that this latter role would serve “as an example of how he would continue to use his leadership skills to assist committee leaders and fellow members in fighting back against the Trump administration’s rampant lawlessness.” 

According to the release, at age 42, securing the position of assistant speaker would make Neguse the youngest person to hold the role. 

Neguse was first elected to represent Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District in 2018, replacing then-newly elected Gov. Jared Polis and becoming the first Black member of Congress in the state. His win on Tuesday over Republican challenger Kelley Anne Dennison will lead to the congressman’s fifth term in Congress. 

Colorado’s 2nd Congressional District covers both Front Range and north-central mountain communities, spanning Boulder, Larimer, Jackson, Jefferson, Clear Creek, Gilpin, Eagle, Grand, Summit, Routt and Weld counties. 

Neguse is currently running unopposed, with leadership elections for House Democrats expected on Nov. 18 and 19. The 120th Congress is scheduled to start on Jan. 3. 

His candidacy announcement comes after Democrats won back control of both the House and Senate in Tuesday’s midterm election. 

According to the Associated Press, in the U.S. Senate, Democrats have secured 54 seats, Republicans have secured 44 and two are yet to be called as of Thursday afternoon. In the House, Democrats have tied up 252 seats to Republicans’ 155 seats. Twenty-eight races remain too close to call, including two in Colorado. 

The state’s 3rd and 4th Congressional Districts are both currently represented by Republicans seeking re-election. As of Thursday afternoon, Rep. Jeff Hurd was up by around 6,000 votes over Democratic challenger Dwyane Romero in the race for Colorado’s 3rd Congressional District, which spans much of the Western Slope. In the 4th district — which covers Colorado’s Eastern Plains — Democratic challenger Eileen Laubacher was leading Republican Incumbent Rep. Lauren Boebert by around 2,690 votes.