BREAKING: Paul Ryan Elected Speaker of the House

Republican Congressman Paul D. Ryan was elected Speaker of the House Thursday morning, replacing outgoing Speaker John Boehner.

Ryan’s election was expected after he handily won the vote for the Republican nomination and after he secured the support of a supermajority of the conservative House Freedom Caucus. The final vote was largely along party lines, with 236 votes for Ryan, 184 votes for Democratic Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, and only nine for conservative alternative Daniel Webster.

Ryan initially expressed a complete disinterest in running for Speaker, despite other Republicans urging him to run. But when frontrunner Kevin McCarthy suddenly dropped out amidst swirling rumors of a scandal and after a controversial statement about the Benghazi committee, Republicans turned their eyes to the reluctant Ryan.

The Wisconsin Republican has served in the House for 17 years, and served as the Chairman of the House Budget Committee since 2011. Ryan was also the Republican Party’s nominee for Vice President in 2012, and was often mentioned as a potential 2016 presidential candidate before Ryan said he wasn’t interested.

[Image via screengrab]
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