Hakeem Jeffries elected to key role for Democrats in political milestone

Hakeem Jeffries is to lead the Democrats in the House (Scott Applewhite/AP)

Democrat Hakeem Jeffries is to be the first black American to head a major political party in Congress when long-serving Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her team step aside next year.

Showing rare party unity after their midterm election losses, the House Democrats moved seamlessly from one history-making leader to another, choosing the 52-year-old New Yorker, who has vowed to “get things done”, even though Republicans won control of the chamber.