By Servet Gunerigok
WASHINGTON (AA) – Rep. Nancy Pelosi of California was reelected speaker of the US House of Representatives for the 117th Congress on Sunday.
Pelosi received 216 out of 427 votes to secure the speakership for a fourth term.
Republican House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy of California received 209 votes.
The 80-year-old lawmaker has been leading House Democrats since 2003 and is the only woman to serve as speaker on the floor.
During the vote, three Democrats defected, voting present: Reps. Mikie Sherrill of New Jersey, Elissa Slotkin of Michigan and Abigail Spanberger of Virginia.
"In a time marked by historically low trust in our government, new voices are necessary to moving forward and achieving real progress," said Spanberger in a statement, according to CNN.
