WASHINGTON — Rep. Paul D. Ryan was officially elected speaker of the House Thursday morning, succeeding John Boehner as a leader considered most able to unify the Republican Party after weeks of uncertainty and chaos.
Ryan, who secured his party’s nomination for the position in a secret-ballot election Wednesday, received 236 votes, clearing the 218-vote threshold needed to become speaker. The Wisconsin Republican vowed to run the House differently and "[wipe] the slate clean" as he addressed his colleagues for the first time as speaker-elect.
"Let’s be frank: The House is broken," Ryan said. "We are not solving problems. We are adding to them. And I am not interested in laying blame. We are not settling scores. We are wiping the slate clean. Neither the members nor the people are satisfied with how things are going. We need to make some changes, starting with how the House does business."
Reluctant to accept the job at first, Ryan was ultimately able to secure the overwhelming support of moderates and conservatives within his party.
As Boehner put it in his farewell address, "There’s a difference between being asked to do something and being called to do something. Paul is being called."
The outgoing speaker offered Ryan and his colleagues some advice in his address on coming together: "Yes, freedom makes all things possible. But patience is what makes all things real. So believe in the long, slow struggle. Believe in this country’s ability to meet her challenges, and lead the world."
Hardline conservatives, who were credited with Boehner's resignation, have said they are impressed with what they’ve heard so far from Ryan on the inclusive, open way he would run the House. But it remains unclear whether the new speaker will be able to keep House Republicans united — something Boehner constantly struggled with during his tenure.
Ryan's election as speaker follows a tumultuous month in the House.
After Boehner surprised his colleagues by announcing his retirement last month, his No. 2, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, stunned House Republicans once again by pulling out of the race for speaker during a closed-door meeting where he had been expected to win his party’s nomination for the position.
Ryan — a native of Janesville, Wisconsin, who was first elected to the House when was 28 years old — had insisted he didn’t want to run for speaker, saying the job was best suited for an “empty nester.” But with no clear consensus candidate in sight, veteran Republican lawmakers were able to convince him to seriously consider mounting a bid.
In the end, the former vice presidential candidate announced he would run only if he was able to secure support from the major caucuses within the GOP conference and if he could still make time with his family a priority.
And days later, he made his bid official after clearing a major hurdle: securing the support of a supermajority of a group of influential House conservatives. The House Freedom Caucus declined to fully endorse Ryan but decided to give him enough votes, paving the way for him to declare "a new day" as leader of the House.