Nancy Pelosi has been narrowly re-elected to her position as House Speaker.
"It gives [me] great pride to serve as speaker of the most diverse House of Representatives in the history of our country," said Pelosi.
As per CNN, Pelosi was unopposed as she ran for the position after serving for 17 years in charge of the House Democrats; becoming the first woman speaker from 2006 to 2011, and again since the Democrats took back the house in 2018.
Prior to her re-election, Pelosi faced not only lower attendance as a result of the ongoing pandemic, but the Democrats' smallest majority. With Republicans united against her, some in her own caucus also called for new leadership.
She received a total of 216 votes to secure her position, with House Republican leader Kevin McCarthy receiving 209.
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"She is very aware of the fact that with a slim majority - with some members who voted against her two years ago - there is gonna have to be an effort to persuade them that that was then and this is now. We cannot afford to have uncertainty about the speakership," Connolly added.
Pelosi had to obtain a majority of votes to win the speakership.
Her win comes after 15 Democrats defected from her back in 2019, meaning that she cannot afford further losses this year.
Prior to the election, there was concern that some of her allies would not present to vote, including one Democratic member Rep. Gwen Moore of Wisconsin, who tested positive for Covid-19 last week.
On Sunday, she announced that while she did not receive a negative test prior to voting, she did quarantine for two weeks and followed the advice of Dr. Brian Monahan, the Attending Physician of the United States Congress.
According to the Capitol physician, other members voted through a "secure enclosure" after coming into contact with someone with Covid-19, but ultimately tested negative.
Nebraska GOP Rep. Jeff Fortenberry voted for McCarthy from a plexiglass-enclosed area above the House floor, wearing a mask and a face shield.
Federal guidelines from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency which state that "essential workers, in order to ensure continuity of operations of essential functions, are permitted to continue work following potential exposure to COVID-19 provided they remain asymptomatic and additional precautions are implemented to protect them and the community."
Pelosi and her allies were confident about her reelection prior to the vote.
Jeffries said on Fox News Sunday that Pelosi "will be the next speaker of the United States House of Representatives," claiming "incredible enthusiasm" for the California Democrat because she's been a "historic, legendary legislative leader through incredibly turbulent times."