The office of Representative Hakeem Jeffries, the Democratic leader in the U.S. House, released a strong statement criticizing a colleague after she endorsed a racist remark directed at him.
The incident occurred Monday (local time) when Republican Representative Jen Kiggans participated in a conservative radio program. When host Rich Herrera criticized Jeffries for supporting redistricting efforts in Virginia, Herrera said Jeffries should either move to Virginia or 'get his cotton-picking hands out of Virginia.' The term 'cotton-picking' is widely considered to have racist origins, evoking the era of Black slaves working on cotton plantations in the American South.
Kiggans replied: 'That's right. I agree with that.' Shortly after, she denied endorsing the host's statement, explaining that she only agreed with the broader point about Democratic efforts on redistricting. 'The host shouldn't have used that language, and I do not — and did not — endorse it. Anyone listening to the show would clearly see I agreed that Hakeem Jeffries should stay out of Virginia,' Kiggans said.
However, Jeffries' spokesperson, Christie Stephenson, sharply condemned Kiggans. 'Those extremists who endorse disgusting, vulgar, and racist language are pathetic. Jen Kiggans doesn't care about the nation's progress toward a multiracial democracy and seems to yearn for a return to the Jim Crow era of racial oppression in the South,' Stephenson declared.
Several Democratic politicians, including House Democratic Vice Chair Katherine Clark and California Governor Gavin Newsom, have called for Kiggans' resignation. The Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) also posted the audio clip of the exchange on X, with the caption: 'Did she agree with him? Yes. Is this racist? Yes. Should she resign? Also yes.'
The incident comes amid a nationwide redistricting battle ahead of the November midterm elections. Typically, states redraw electoral maps every decade to reflect the latest census results. However, since last year, former President Donald Trump's administration urged the Texas legislature to pass new maps favoring Republicans. Recently, the U.S. Supreme Court also issued a ruling weakening the Voting Rights Act of 1965, making it easier to dismantle majority-Black voting districts except in cases of explicit racist intent. Civil rights groups argue this could dilute the voting power of African Americans.
