Republicans choose Boehner to replace DeLay

updated 5:51 p.m. ET Feb. 2, 2006

WASHINGTON - House Republicans elected Rep. John Boehner of Ohio as majority leader Thursday, choosing a self-proclaimed reform candidate to replace indicted Rep. Tom DeLay as the party struggles with an ethics scandal.

"I'm humbled by the support of my colleagues to be new majority leader of the house," Boehner said.

"I never came here to be a congressman," he said. "I came here to solve the problems that the American people face every day."

Boehner defeated the front-runner, Rep. Roy Blunt of Missouri, after finishing behind him in the initial round of voting Thursday.

While Boehner has had feuds with DeLay, Blunt was close to the former majority leader and had served as his top deputy.

Blunt remains the GOP whip. "Believe me, the world goes on," he said.

"We have a great leadership team," Blunt said. "We're going to work to make the Congress better, more importantly we're going to work to make the country better, and I look forward to working with John Boehner as majority leader to make that happen."

‘Fresh face’
Boehner defeated Blunt 122-109 after lagging behind his rival in a first, inconclusive vote of GOP House members. The third contender — John Shadegg of Arizona — withdrew after finishing last in the initial round.

Boehner campaigned as a candidate of reform and said his experience as chairman of the House Education and Workforce Committee had demonstrated his ability to pass major legislation.

Blunt had been a temporary stand-in for DeLay, who is charged with campaign finance violations in Texas.

After the vote, Rep. Jeff Flake, R-Ariz., called Boehner “a fresh face.”

“It wouldn’t be credible for the same leaders to be advocating change,” Flake said, adding he hoped Blunt would stay on as whip, third-ranking in the leadership.

Shedding the smell of scandal
Republicans are at a political crossroads as they work to avoid the taint of scandal from investigations that have already led to the conviction and resignation of Rep. Randy Cunningham, R-Calif.  In addition, Rep. Bob Ney, R-Ohio, faces scrutiny in a wide-ranging congressional corruption investigation symbolized by lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

Blunt’s position in leadership had made him the front-runner, but he ended seven votes short of the necessary majority on a first-round secret ballot. He had 110 votes, and Boehner had 79.
Shadegg received 40, and Rep. Jim Ryun of Kansas, who was not an announced candidate, got two votes.

After Shadegg and Ryun dropped out, Boehner won his second-ballot victory.

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