WASHINGTON — John Boehner was re-elected as Speaker of the House Thursday, putting to rest rumblings that he might be ousted by discontented conservatives within his party.
Boehner received 220 votes, while Pelosi received 192.
Over the past several weeks, there had been signs of discontent with Boehner as Speaker.
A minority of Republicans in the House supported the fiscal cliff deal which he shepherded through Tuesday evening.
When Boehner announced Tuesday night that the House would adjourn without passing the Hurricane Sandy Relief Bill, several members of the New York and New Jersey delegations — including Rep. Michael Grimm and Rep. Peter King — reacted in fury and suggested that Boehner might have lost their vote for Speaker.
Shortly after the November election, several conservatives who lost their committee seats due to insubordination, were harshly critical of the Speaker, inciting several conservative groups to call for Boehner’s ouster.
But when the 113th Congress gaveled in for the first time, only two people were nominated to be Speaker: Boehner and Democratic Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi.
Fifteen members on both sides of the aisle abstained or voted for someone other than Pelosi or Boehner. Nine Republicans did not vote for Boehner: Reps. Amash, Steve Pearce, Jim Bridenstine, Ted Yoho, Paul Brown, Louie Gohmert, Walter Jones, Tomas Massie, and Tim Huelskamp.
Among the alternatives mentioned were Majority Leader Eric Cantor, who got three votes; former Rep. Allen West who received two votes, and former Secretary of State Colin Powell who got one vote.
Rep. Justin Amash, one of Boehner’s most vocal critics after he lost a committee assignment for insubordination, voted for Rep. Raul Labrador. Democratic Rep. John Barrow voted for fellow Georgia Rep. John Lewis.
Former Comptroller General David Walker also received one vote, as did Reps. Justin Amash, Jim Cooper, Jim Jordan, and Rep. John Dingell.
Still, Boehner won re-election as Speaker easily on the first ballot.*
*CORRECTION: This article previously stated that Rep. Michele Bachmann cast the deciding vote for Boehner. She did not.