Gregory Meeks: Relationships
Gregory Meeks's political career has been defined by a dense web of relationships spanning congressional leadership, local Queens politics, the New York Democratic establishment, and international diplomacy. His dual roles as a senior House member and Queens County Democratic Party chairman place him at the intersection of national policy and local political power.
Hakeem Jeffries
Meeks is widely described as a close ally of House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a fellow New York Democrat and Queens native . When Jeffries defeated Barbara Lee to become Democratic Caucus chairman in 2018, Meeks publicly praised him, calling Jeffries the present and the future of the Democratic Party . The two share a Brooklyn-Queens geographic base, overlapping political networks, and alignment within the pragmatic, non-Progressive Caucus wing of the House Democrats.
Nancy Pelosi
Meeks maintained a working relationship with former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi throughout her leadership tenure. In August 2022, he traveled with Pelosi and other members of Congress on her Asia tour, which included stops in Malaysia and Singapore . In October 2022, Meeks represented Pelosi at the G20 Bali summit's parliamentary plenary session, delivering the keynote address on behalf of the Speaker .
Joe Crowley
Meeks succeeded former Representative Joseph Crowley as chairman of the Queens County Democratic Party in 2019. Crowley, who had held the party leadership for more than a dozen years before losing his 2018 congressional primary to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, endorsed Meeks as his successor and expressed confidence in his ability to build on the party's accomplishments . The two were connected through years of overlapping Queens Democratic politics.
Floyd Flake
Meeks's entry into Congress was directly facilitated by Representative Floyd Flake, who endorsed Meeks as his successor when Flake resigned in 1997 to focus on leading the Greater Allen A.M.E. Cathedral in Jamaica, Queens . Flake's endorsement was instrumental in Meeks winning the February 1998 special election.
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez
The relationship between Meeks and Ocasio-Cortez reflects broader tensions between the Queens Democratic establishment and the progressive wing of the party. Meeks assumed the county party chairmanship in the wake of Crowley's primary loss to Ocasio-Cortez, and he has navigated the dynamic by expressing openness to progressive voices while cautioning against tactics he views as destructive to party unity . He has stated that while he welcomes all Democrats, he opposes approaches that would tear the party apart rather than build from within .
Donovan Richards
Former New York City Council Member Donovan Richards, who also represented southeastern Queens, has characterized Meeks's district as one where voters are more moderate than those in western Queens, suggesting that progressive insurgencies of the Ocasio-Cortez model have less traction in Meeks's political base .
Joaquin Castro
Meeks defeated Castro in the December 2020 Democratic Caucus election for House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman by a decisive margin of 148 to 78 . The contest was seen as a generational and ideological competition within the caucus.
Eliot Engel
Meeks's path to the Foreign Affairs Committee chairmanship opened when Engel, the committee's longtime chairman, lost his 2020 Democratic primary to Jamaal Bowman. Meeks quickly declared his candidacy for the position, positioning himself as the experienced alternative to Castro .
Steny Hoyer
Meeks has worked closely with former House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer on Ukraine legislation. Hoyer was a key partner in the bipartisan discharge petition for the Ukraine Support Act and was listed alongside Meeks in the joint statement announcing the petition's success 9.
Brian Fitzpatrick
Republican Representative Brian Fitzpatrick of Pennsylvania has been Meeks's primary Republican partner on Ukraine and Russia sanctions legislation. The two co-authored the Peace Through Strength Against Russia Act of 2025 and collaborated on the discharge petition for the Ukraine Support Act .
Michael McCaul
Republican Representative Michael McCaul of Texas, who succeeded Meeks as chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee when Republicans took the majority, has maintained a working relationship with Meeks on committee business, even as the two produced competing reports on the Afghanistan withdrawal . McCaul has indicated interest in working with Meeks on Russia sanctions legislation .
Michael Grimm
In 2014, Meeks worked across party lines with Republican Representative Michael Grimm of New York on legislation to reform federal flood insurance programs, an issue of particular importance to coastal communities in both their districts .
International Relationships
Meeks co-chairs or participates in multiple congressional caucuses tied to specific countries and regions, including the Brazil Caucus, Colombia Caucus, Bangladesh Caucus, Kazakhstan Caucus, Peru Caucus, European Union Caucus, Organization of American States Caucus, and the Congressional Caucus on Turkey and Turkish Americans 14.
His 2006 trip to Venezuela, where he met with then-President Hugo Chavez, generated controversy but was described by Meeks and his allies as related to a program providing heating oil to American communities .
Personal and Community Relationships
Meeks is a member of the Allen AME Church in St. Albans, Queens, the same congregation once led by Floyd Flake 14. His membership connects him to one of the most politically significant religious institutions in southeastern Queens.
He is a member of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity, the oldest historically Black intercollegiate Greek-letter fraternity in the United States .