House Democratic members tapped Nancy Pelosi, 78, for speaker with Steny Hoyer, 79, and James Clyburn, 78, to be the three top leaders.
WASHINGTON — Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi easily clinched the nomination for speaker on Wednesday but without enough votes to guarantee her election when the full House votes on Jan. 3.
Three leaders of a small group of about 15 — Rep. Bill Foster, D-Ill., is one of the holdouts — met with Pelosi before the vote, softening their “Never Nancy” position with a demand that Pelosi, from California, and the other two top leaders, Steny Hoyer, from Maryland, and James Clyburn, of South Carolina, — septuagenarians all — tell them when they will step aside to allow a new generation of leaders to surface.
House Democratic members tapped Pelosi, 78, for speaker with Hoyer, 79, and Clyburn, 78, to be the three top leaders. The youth movement was represented with the selection of Rep. Ben Ray Lujan, 46, from New Mexico for the number four spot and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, 48, from New York, for the fifth spot.
In a secret ballot, Pelosi, running unopposed, won 203 yes votes; 32 no and three blank ballots. But that included Democratic delegates (such as Del. Eleanor Holmes Norton, who represents Washington) who do not get to vote on the House floor.
Taking out the delegates and adding in a pro-Pelosi member in the hospital, puts Pelosi heading into January with 200 yes votes in a scenario where she may need 218 backers if all 435 House members vote.
