Steny Wins, Pelosi Loses

The Democratic Caucus voted 149-86 to elect Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-MD) over John Murtha (D-PA) as House Majority Leader, the second highest position in the House of Representatives. Hoyer and Pelosi have been rivals while Murtha and Pelosi have been allies for sometime but Pelosi's public campaign for Murtha was a suprirse.

Pelosi gambled and lost big by backing Murtha. Dethroning Hoyer from the number two slot would have sent a strong message about the consequences of challenging Pelosi. If Murtha had beat Hoyer, any House Democrat would have thought long and hard before taking on Madame Speaker. Instead, the Democratic Caucus sent a strong signal that there are limits to Pelosi's power and their support for her leadership.

Steny Hoyer will be the most powerful Marylander in Congress in living memory and beyond. His rise is also a huge boon to the Washington region which had gotten very used to having Rep. Tom Davis (R-VA) look out for its interests. Not bad for a former Maryland Senate President who won his seat in a special election in 1981 after losing the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor.

(For you trivia buffs, much beloved Rep. Gladys Noon Spellmanwas reelected in 1980 while in a coma. The seat was declared vacant in 1981. Hoyer beat out Spellman's widower in the primary to win the seat. Hoyer's seat used to be based more heavily in Prince George's County but Hoyer migrated east in 1992 to make way for the black-majority Fourth District currently held by Rep. Al Wynn.)