Nancy Pelosi re-elected Speaker of the House in tight race
Nancy Pelosi won another term as Speaker of the House of Representatives on Sunday, eking out a close vote as the 117th Congress kicked off.
The California Democrat, 80, will hold the position for a second consecutive two-year term and fourth overall, having previously been elected in 2007, 2009 and 2019.
She emerged victorious with 216 votes to the 209 votes of Republican challenger Kevin McCarthy, also of California.
Two votes were cast for other candidates and three lawmakers voted present.
Pelosi was expected to come out on top, though by a narrow margin reflective of Republican gains in the House during the most recent election cycle and a Democratic party increasingly splintered along moderate and far-left lines.
Representatives could cast a vote for anyone — not limited to Pelosi or McCarthy, or even a lawmaker — declare themselves present, or decline to vote at all.
Democratic Maine Rep. Jared Golden cast his vote for Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), a fellow military veteran.
Rep. Conor Lamb (D-Penn.) voted for New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries — who kicked off the vote with an impassioned speech nominating Pelosi.
Three Democrats voted present: New Jersey’s Mikie Sherrill, Michigan’s Elissa Slotkin and Virginia’s Abigail Spanberger.
Despite the defections, Pelosi reached the simple majority of all votes cast for named candidates needed to clinch another run as House Speaker.
McCarthy did not see any Republican defections.
The representatives voted in small, staggered groups to help facilitate social distancing amid the coronavirus pandemic, lawmakers were required to wear masks and breaks were scheduled in the House proceedings throughout the day to allow for cleanings.
Four hundred and thirty of the chamber’s 433 currently-elected lawmakers were in attendance Sunday on Capitol Hill.
Two seats remain unoccupied: New York’s 22nd District, where a razor-thin race is still being untangled, and Louisiana’s 5th District, following the coronavirus-related death of Republican Representative-elect Luke Letlow.
She emerged victorious with 216 votes to the 209 votes of Republican challenger Kevin McCarthy, also of California.
Two votes were cast for other candidates and three lawmakers voted present.
Pelosi was expected to come out on top, though by a narrow margin reflective of Republican gains in the House during the most recent election cycle and a Democratic party increasingly splintered along moderate and far-left lines.
Representatives could cast a vote for anyone — not limited to Pelosi or McCarthy, or even a lawmaker — declare themselves present, or decline to vote at all.
Democratic Maine Rep. Jared Golden cast his vote for Sen. Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), a fellow military veteran.
Rep. Conor Lamb (D-Penn.) voted for New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries — who kicked off the vote with an impassioned speech nominating Pelosi.
Three Democrats voted present: New Jersey’s Mikie Sherrill, Michigan’s Elissa Slotkin and Virginia’s Abigail Spanberger.
Despite the defections, Pelosi reached the simple majority of all votes cast for named candidates needed to clinch another run as House Speaker.
McCarthy did not see any Republican defections.
The representatives voted in small, staggered groups to help facilitate social distancing amid the coronavirus pandemic, lawmakers were required to wear masks and breaks were scheduled in the House proceedings throughout the day to allow for cleanings.
Four hundred and thirty of the chamber’s 433 currently-elected lawmakers were in attendance Sunday on Capitol Hill.
Two seats remain unoccupied: New York’s 22nd District, where a razor-thin race is still being untangled, and Louisiana’s 5th District, following the coronavirus-related death of Republican Representative-elect Luke Letlow.
AI Disclaimer: An advanced artificial intelligence (AI) system generated the content of this page on its own. This innovative technology conducts extensive research from a variety of reliable sources, performs rigorous fact-checking and verification, cleans up and balances biased or manipulated content, and presents a minimal factual summary that is just enough yet essential for you to function as an informed and educated citizen. Please keep in mind, however, that this system is an evolving technology, and as a result, the article may contain accidental inaccuracies or errors. We urge you to help us improve our site by reporting any inaccuracies you find using the "Contact Us" link at the bottom of this page. Your helpful feedback helps us improve our system and deliver more precise content. When you find an article of interest here, please look for the full and extensive coverage of this topic in traditional news sources, as they are written by professional journalists that we try to support, not replace. We appreciate your understanding and assistance.
