New House Majority leader
U.S. Rep. John Boehner of Ohio. Via Reuters:
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. Rep. John Boehner of Ohio upset a former deputy to indicted Texan Tom DeLay on Thursday to become majority leader of the scandal-rocked U.S. House of Representatives.
Rep. Roy Blunt had appeared to be the front-runner, based on a long list of public commitments, but Boehner, who campaigned on a vow to seek to renew the party’s “spirit and vision,” defeated Blunt and Rep. John Shadegg of Arizona in a secret election by fellow Republicans.
Boehner had 122 votes to Blunt’s 109. Shadegg dropped out after a first ballot loss.
Boehner’s election represented a shake-up in the House leadership, as Republicans effectively gave a vote of no-confidence to Blunt, the acting majority leader and a close ally of DeLay.
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