House Democrats elected to keep their leaders in place on Wednesday, marking a win for the party's moderate wing.
The party confirmed Wednesday that Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-California, would continue to serve as Speaker of the House. Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Maryland, will again serve as the House Majority Leader, Rep. James Clyburn, D-South Carolina, will continue to serve as the House Majority Whip, and Rep. Hakeem Jeffries will keep his role as the chairman of the House Democratic caucus.
No other Democrats mounted serious challenges to current party leadership positions.
Pelosi's upcoming term will mark her fourth as Speaker of the House. She previously served as speaking when Democrats held the majority in the House from 2007 to 2011, and she was elected as Speaker again when Dems won back control following the 2016 midterms.
Though House Democrats will be working with a Democrat president in Joe Biden next term, serious questions remain about the future of the party.
Democrats went into the 2020 election hoping to control both chambers of Congress and the White House — and plenty of polling suggested that they would do so. But Democrats lost seats in the House in the 2020 election, and the control of the Senate hinges on two January run-off elections in Georgia — meaning Biden could face significant challenges in getting his legislation passed.
Congratulations to @SpeakerPelosi, once again elected by House Democrats to be our fearless leader and nominee for Speaker of the House for the 117th Congress! #DownWithNDP #ForThePeople
— House Democrats (@HouseDemocrats) November 18, 2020
In the weeks since the election, reports have surfaced of infighting within the Democratic Party. Moderate lawmakers have blamed the progressive wing for scaring Republican-leaning swing voters away with leftist rhetoric like "defunding the police." However, progressive lawmakers argue that moderates have shied away from popular initiatives like universal health care in order to appease voters outside of their base.
At a press conference making the outcome of party elections on Wednesday, Pelosi pushed a message of unity within the party, citing shared goals like healthcare reform, infrastructure renewal and the fight against climate change.
