WASHINGTON — A day after reelecting Representative Nancy Pelosi to lead them in the next Congress, House Democrats rebuffed her effort Wednesday to elect a close ally to a key committee post.
Democrats voted 100 to 90 to make Representative Frank Pallone of New Jersey the top Democrat on the House Energy and Commerce Committee. The loser was Representative Anna Eshoo, a Pelosi friend whose Silicon Valley district is near San Francisco, which Pelosi represents.
The vote attracted interest because it came amid grousing over this month’s midterm elections, which saw House Democrats lose at least a dozen seats.
Though Pelosi retained her post as House minority leader without opposition, Eshoo’s defeat raised questions about whether rank-and-file Democrats were in a mood to award a plum assignment to one of Pelosi’s close allies.