Marvel actor Mark Ruffalo is promoting a petition to deny Hakeem Jeffries the House speakership, putting the incoming Democratic majority’s top leader under pressure from his own side just days after the party’s midterm victories.
The petition calls on newly elected House Democrats to choose someone other than the New York congressman when they select a speaker in January 2027.
Jeffries entered the race Wednesday, only to encounter an effort that had drawn nearly 800,000 signatures, according to the reported count.
Ruffalo, known for playing the Hulk in Disney’s Avengers films, is among those urging Democrats to reconsider Jeffries. The petition challenges his suitability to lead the House and casts him as a representative of the party establishment.
Sign this petition if you want a new speaker of the house. https://t.co/G88VLySjsQ
— Mark Ruffalo (@MarkRuffalo) November 5, 2026
The petition states, “Hakeem Jeffries is simply not the right choice. We believe the Speaker should represent the Democratic voters, not just the Democratic establishment.”
Its organizers ask House members to examine Jeffries’ record, policy positions, donors and leadership before choosing a speaker.
The appeal also encourages other Democrats to seek the position rather than allow Jeffries to become the automatic choice after the party regained the majority. Its organizers emphasize that the newly elected lawmakers, not the people who signed the petition, will make the decision.
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They frame the interval before January as an opportunity for Democratic contenders to step forward and for constituents to make their objections known.
Jeffries has been an outspoken supporter of Israel and continued to back its security during the war with Hamas in Gaza.
He has described his commitment as “ironclad and unbreakable” and has drawn criticism from some on the left. The petition’s criticism of his leadership is explicit, although its quoted demands do not identify Israel as the sole reason for opposing him.
Jeffries responded to the post-election moment by defending the work Democrats accomplished while they were in the minority.
In remarks Wednesday evening, he credited the party with fighting Trump administration policies in court and challenging the president over immigration, voting procedures and the use of National Guard troops.
The minority leader also pointed to Democratic demands for disclosure of records relating to Jeffrey Epstein and the party’s dispute with Republicans over Affordable Care Act tax credits during a 43-day government shutdown.
He portrayed opposition to the war in Iran as another achievement. Among the examples he cited was a litigation task force that challenged administration actions involving birthright citizenship, voting by mail and the deployment of the National Guard.
He also credited House Democrats with securing a path toward a three-year extension of Affordable Care Act tax credits despite Republican opposition.
“Against all odds, House Democrats were consistently successful in the minority,” Jeffries maintained.
He urged the newly empowered party to concentrate on lowering costs, accountability and protections for voting rights and equal treatment under the law.
His stated priorities also included a renewed emphasis on the country’s immigrant heritage, making his defense of the existing party leadership part of a broader promise about what Democrats would accomplish in power.
The House majority also gives Jeffries an opportunity to move from leading the opposition to running the chamber, provided he can secure lawmakers’ votes for speaker.
Jeffries also took aim at Vice President JD Vance over the Iran conflict, which has become a flashpoint in the aftermath of Republicans’ election defeats.
In an interview with Punchbowl News, he accused Vance, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Secretary of State Marco Rubio of backing a war that had lasted more than eight months.
“We’re not going to let JD Vance run away from his own record of supporting Donald Trump’s reckless and failed war,” Jeffries told the outlet.
Vance had acknowledged the conflict’s political cost in a lengthy post after the midterms. Vance wrote, “The reason we lost is the war.” He argued that Republicans needed to confront the consequences rather than avoid the subject.
“If you’d like to argue it was worth it, that losing the Senate for the next 6 years was worth it, then do so,” Vance continued. “Argue it was a worthwhile cost to pay. Agree or disagree, that’s at least honest.”
Ruffalo’s challenge to Jeffries also follows another public expression of his support for Palestinians. The actor appeared in a recorded video message during rapper Macklemore’s Free Palestine concert in Dublin, Ireland, after the musician became embroiled in a dispute over accusations against Israel.
“Keep fighting for a free Palestine and humanity all over the world and amongst the people. There will be no peace until there’s equality,” Ruffalo told the audience. “Lots of love, have a good show. Keep fighting the good fight.”
Mark Ruffalo makes a surprise video appearance at Macklemore’s “Free Palestine” concert and says: “There will be no peace until there’s equality.” pic.twitter.com/tRD5xpURUH
— Variety (@Variety) October 26, 2026
The message played during a stage reset alongside contributions from other celebrities. Macklemore had been dropped as an opener for Ed Sheeran’s tour after accusing Israel of committing genocide, an allegation attributed to the rapper rather than independently established in the concert account.
Macklemore addressed the controversy at the Dublin show, insisting that criticizing the Israeli government should not be construed as hostility toward Jewish people.
“Criticism of Israel, criticism of apartheid, being against genocide, is in no way a criticism of you,” he told Jewish listeners.
He described the phrase Free Palestine as a demand for dignity and safety rather than hatred, telling the crowd that people should be able to raise children in their homes without having to defend their humanity.
Macklemore framed the demand in terms of competing rights, telling the crowd, “Because freedom that requires another person’s oppression is not freedom at all.”