"Rome is burning": Incoming House Democrats prove unusually willing to defy leaders

House Democrats' incoming freshman class is barely a week old and already threatening to defy party leaders in ways most of their incumbent colleagues wouldn't dare. Why it matters: It's a dynamic House leaders may have to learn to live with as they integrate a massive group of new members who were swept into office on a wave of populist, anti-establishment anger. "My class is huge not because of ... the Democratic Party and its brand but despite it," said Rep.-elect Don Leonard (D-Ohio). "Many of us are outsiders who didn't come up through the machine, don't buy into the conventions." Congressional Progressive Caucus chair Greg Casar (D-Texas) told Axios: "Any members that are new and have just run their elections are going to be very close to where the voters are, and we know the voters are very upset." State of play: House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.) is on track to become speaker, in part thanks to his rock-solid support among sitting House Democrats. His supporters include high-profile progressives such as Casar and Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Pramila Jayapal (D-Wash.) and Ro Khanna (D-Calif.). "There is one candidate in this race, Hakeem Jeffries, and I think that everyone is far more concerned about what that leadership means, what is it promising," Ocasio-Cortez told reporters on Tuesday. Things get more spotty when gauging Jeffries' support among incoming freshmen, some of whom have openly declined to commit to supporting his leadership. That includes members of the informal progressive "Bloc," including Reps.-elect Darializa Avila Chevalier (D-N.Y.), Melat Kiros (D-Colo.), Claire Valdez (D-N.Y.), Adam Hamawy (D-N.J.) and Chris Rabb (D-Pa.). "As far as I've heard, Jeffries is the only one running," said progressive Rep.-elect Randy Villegas (D-Calif.). "But ... I think we need to see some prioritization of some legislation, particularly around health care, foreign policy and immigration." Some incoming and sitting House Democrats ha