Top House Democrat welcomes primary winners who didn’t endorse him US House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries has congratulated four winners of New York's Democratic congressional primaries, two of whom had declined to support him as a potential House speaker. Jeffries congratulated Darializa Avila Chevalier, Claire Valdez, Brad Lander and Micah Lasher after their primary victories this week. All are expected to win in November in heavily Democratic districts.