NEW YORK (AP) — A day after Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced she would step aside, Rep. Hakeem Jeffries of New York launched a history-making bid Friday to become the first Black person to helm a major political party in Congress as leader of the House Democrats.

In a letter to colleagues, Jeffries gave a nod to the "legendary figures" before him: Pelosi, the first female speaker in U.S. history, and her leadership team. He encouraged his fellow House members to embrace a "once-in-a-generation opportunity" to unleash their "full potential as a team." And he pledged to draw on the diverse Democra...