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(CNN) – Nancy Pelosi won a fourth non-consecutive term as Speaker of the House of Representatives, with a handful of defections in a narrow vote after her party lost seats, although she maintained control of the House.
After serving for 17 years as House Democrats, Pelosi ran unopposed. She was the first woman to be Speaker of the House of Representatives, from 2006 to 2011, and has been again since Democrats regained possession of the House, in 2018.
“I am very proud to serve as the Speaker of the most diverse House of Representatives in our country’s history,” said Pelosi.
Pelosi had a slim margin of error, facing the smallest majority of Democrats in decades and a pandemic that has hampered lawmakers’ attendance. Some in his group mobilized for new leadership and Republicans rallied against him. It received 216 votes, which was sufficient considering that a handful of members voted present or their seats were vacant. House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy received 209 votes.
“If Nancy can do anything, it’s count,” said Rep. Gerry Connolly, a Democrat from Virginia. “She is well aware of the fact that with a slim majority, with some members voting against her two years ago, she will have to make an effort to persuade them that this was then and this is now. We cannot afford to be uncertain about the speaker of the chamber.
To win the position of speaker of the chamber, Pelosi had to obtain a majority of votes. In 2019, 15 Democrats walked away from Pelosi, but she can only afford to lose a few in 2021. After losing a dozen seats in 2020, House Democrats are likely to control about 222 seats next term.
Only two House Democrats, Representatives Jared Golden of Maine and Connor Lamb of Pennsylvania, supported another person, voting respectively for Illinois Sen. Tammy Duckworth and New York Representative Hakeem Jeffries. Three others – Representatives Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey, Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Abigail Spanberger of Virginia – defected, voting in person.
“At a time marked by historically low confidence in our government, new voices are needed to move forward and make real progress,” Spanberger said in a statement.
Pelosi’s advisers were concerned that some allies with underlying health problems may have been marginalized, as all members must be present to vote. A Democratic member, Representative Gwen Moore from Wisconsin, announced that she had tested positive for COVID-19 last week. She said Sunday that she did not receive a negative test before voting, but that she had been in quarantine for two weeks and was following the guidance of Dr. Brian Monahan, the US Congress physician.
Some members voted from a “safe compound” as they were exposed to someone with COVID-19, but then tested negative, according to the Capitol doctor. Nebraska Republican Representative Jeff Fortenberry voted for McCarthy from the enclosed Plexiglas area on the House floor, wearing a mask and face shield.
Monahan cited federal guidelines from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Agency for Cybersecurity and Infrastructure that “essential workers, to ensure the continuity of operations of essential functions , they can continue to work after possible exposure to COVID-19 as long as they remain asymptomatic and additional precautions are in place to protect them and the community.
Before the vote, Pelosi and her allies showed confidence that she would win reelection.
Jeffries said on “Fox News Sunday” that Pelosi “will be the next speaker of the US House of Representatives,” noting that there is “incredible enthusiasm” for the California Democrat to keep her post as she has been a “historic and legendary legislative leader through incredibly turbulent times. ” House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer smiled when House Majority Leader James Clyburn was asked on MSNBC on Sunday if he thought Pelosi would be re-elected as spokesperson.
The speaker of the chamber has a host of tools at her disposal to obtain votes, including a massive fundraising operation, commission allocations and laws that she can lead to plenary. In 2018, Pelosi, 80, suggested that this would be her last term in office, reaching an agreement with a small group of Democratic rebels that she would serve no more than two terms as president.
Pelosi told her members in a private call last week that her only enemy in the fight to be speaker of the chamber was Covid-19, according to multiple sources familiar with him, because the virus could affect the number of members who could. go to Washington and vote. While members can vote while sick, the optics would be dire.
“She is one of the few clear leaders who can bring cohesion and leadership to the Democratic majority,” Connolly said. “I think he comes into this in a strong position, but clearly aware of the challenges he faces in terms of numbers and the uncertainty of the coronavirus.”
This story has been updated with additional news on Sunday.
CNN’s Manu Raju, Kristin Wilson, and Daniella Diaz contributed to this story.
