House Democrats elected Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi to be the candidate for the Speaker of the 117th Congress.
Democrats casted their votes for Pelosi virtually through a secure app, Fox News reported Wednesday. Pelosi ran unopposed. The House will hold a full vote on Jan. 3 to elect the Speaker, in which the Democrats will have the majority. Republicans selected House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy as their candidate for Speaker.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi, a Democrat from California, speaks during a news conference at the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee headquarters in Washington, D.C., U.S., on Tuesday, Nov. 3, 2020. (Photographer: Erin Scott/Reuters/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
Pelosi officially launched her bid on Nov. 6 to keep her leadership position in the next Congress. In a letter to her Democratic colleagues, Pelosi congratulated House Democrats on maintaining a majority in the House and then asked for their support to have her continue to lead the party as Speaker. Pelosi said she looks forward to working with 2020 president-elect Joe Biden. (RELATED: Pelosi Officially Launches Bid For Speaker In Next Congress)
This will likely be her last term, as she agreed with Democrats on a term limit for leadership positions in 2018.
Before Pelosi was re-elected as Speaker in 2018, House Democrats and Pelosi agreed to term limits for the top three Democratic leaders in the House, which Pelosi agreed would stop her from another run at Speaker in 2022, Roll Call reported. As House Democrats have retained their majority in the House, Pelosi had already asked her Democratic colleagues to support her as Speaker for another term. (RELATED: This Could Be Pelosi’s Last Term As Speaker If Elected, Due To 2018 Agreement)
New York Democratic Rep. Hakeem Jeffries is reportedly a leading contender to succeed Pelosi, to which the Daily Caller contacted his office about and received no response.
Pelosi has led House Democrats since 2003.