Nancy Pelosi has been reelected as Speaker of the House despite a slim margin of victory, CNN reports.
Of the 216 votes that Pelosi received, one notable name who stayed in her corner was Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who has been lukewarm about having her serve another term. Ocasio-Cortez told The Intercept last month that she's prepared to vote for Pelosi, while also admitting that "we need new leadership in the Democratic Party."
AOC's vote proved to be pivotal, as Pelosi barely cleared the 214-vote threshold. Given the limitations presented by the pandemic and the slimmest House majority in two decades, Pelosi couldn't afford to have a repeat of the 2009 vote, when 15 Democrats voted against her. This year, only two Democrats strayed. Pennsylvania Rep. Conor Lamb voted for Hakeem Jeffries of New York, and Maryland's Jared Golden voted for Sen. Tammy Duckworth. Meanwhile, Abigail Spanberger (D-VA), Elissa Slotkin (D-MI), and Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) voted present.
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy received 209 votes.
Following her win, Pelosi delivered her remarks where she said the "most urgent priority" will be defeating the pandemic and helping those who have been financially impacted. "The pandemic has pulled back the curtain on even worsened disparities in our economy and our society," she said, per ABC News. "We must pursue justice: economic justice, justice in health, racial justice, environmental and climate justice."
