Backstage in Virginia Beach the Saturday before the midterms, Hakeem Jeffries sat in a room by himself.
He read over the speech he was about to give, versions of which he’d given dozens of times in all sorts of tough districts — first in his head, then mouthing the words and practicing how he’d throw his hands around for emphasis.
Jeffries was there to campaign for Elaine Luria, the Navy veteran trying to win back the seat she lost in the 2022 midterms. He then rushed to Alabama to pump up Rep. Shomari Figures, whom Republicans targeted as part of an unprecedented mid-decade redistricting effort that Jeffries had spent more than a year fighting, state by state.
