California’s Nancy Pelosi was voted in as House Speaker. She served in 2019 through 2020, and previously from 2007 through 2010. This makes her third election as Speaker.
However, Pelosi comes in without a strong mandate from the House of Representatives. Three of her Democrats voted “present” only, and two Democrats voted for someone else.
Democratic Reps. Mikie Sherrill (N.J.), Elissa Slotkin (Mich.) and Abigail Spanberger (Va.) each voted “present.”
Rep. Conor Lamb (D-Pa.) cast his vote for House Democratic Caucus Chair Hakeem Jeffries (D-N.Y.). and Rep. Jared Golden (D-Maine) was the first of the Democrats to vote against Pelosi, instead voting for Tammy Duckworth, who is actually a senator from Illinois.
With those five defections, she won 216 to 209 over House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, who had maintained the lead through most of the voting and who lost no votes from his fellow Republicans.
She is the third Speaker in history to win a speakership with less than 218 votes. The others were Newt Gingrich and John Boehner. Gingrich served as Speaker of the House from 1995 through 1998. He won with 216 votes of the 434 cast. Boehner was re-elected as Speaker of the House in 2015, with 216 out of 408 votes cast, after 25 Republicans defected against him.
The voting took place in groups of 72, to provide for physical distancing. Pelosi will be sworn in by Dean of the House Don Young, who was first elected to Congress in 1973. Pelosi was elected in 1986 to the House and is the Dean of California’s congressional delegation, beginning her 18th term in office.
Pelosi is again second in succession to the presidency. Until Kamala Harris is sworn in as vice president later this month, presuming that happens, Pelosi is still the highest ranking woman in American political history.
Meanwhile, in the Senate, a civil war has erupted in the Republican majority, with 12 senators now are saying they will vote against the Electoral College’s results until there is an audit of states where the election has been contested due to claims of fraud. Must Read Alaska sources say they expect at least a handful more will join the rebellion.
