New House Majority Leader Gets Nod From Van Hollen

US Rep. Steny Hoyer (above, right) was elected House majority leader today, with props from downtown Silver Spring's guy on the Hill, Rep. Chris Van Hollen.

Hoyer, a 25-year rep from southern Prince George's County, won the vote among House Dems by a margin of 149 to 86, the Washington Post reports. Van Hollen, who covers the 8th district, had Hoyer's back the whole time.

"I'm fully supporting Hoyer," Van Hollen (left) told The Gazette.

Hoyer's ascension upset Speaker-elect Nancy Pelosi's choice, Rep. John Murtha of Pennsylvania. Several media outlets are calling Murtha's defeat Pelosi's loss.

The Post speculates that Pelosi (above, left), who represents the San Francisco area, pushed aggressively for Murtha because of bad blood between her and Hoyer. Pelosi, a Maryland native, and Hoyer both rose through the ranks of the Hill while working for then-Sen. Daniel Brewster.

Pics courtesy of the Washington Post and the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine.

"Hoyer Challenged in Bid for Majority Leader" (The Gazette)
"Democrats Elect Hoyer as New Majority Leader" (Washington Post)