House Democrats selected current minority leader Nancy Pelosi to continue her job when the next session of Congress convenes in January, fighting off a challenge for her post from Ohio representative Tim Ryan.
Pelosi won by a margin of 71 votes, 134-63, according to reports, meaning she will retain the leadership of her party in the House she has held since 2003. She has alternatively been minority leader and speaker, depending on the chamber’s majority.
Ryan, who ran for leader on a message informed by his northeast Ohio constituency—the sort of group that cast decisive votes in the 2016 presidential contest—congratulated Pelosi on keeping her role, but stressed a continued need for change in the party.
“[I]t is clear as we learn more about the outcome of our elections that we’re ignoring crucial voices that deserve to be heard. The people I represent in Northeast Ohio and the tens of millions of workers across our country are proud to be called blue collar,” he said in a statement.
