Rep. Paul Ryan (R., Wis.) was elected Speaker of the House Thursday after outgoing Speaker John Boehner (R., Ohio) delivered his farewell remarks on Capitol Hill.
Ryan received 236 votes from the full House in a public vote, far more than the 218 he needed to win the election to replace Boehner.
Ryan, 45, was nominated for the leadership role by the Republican conference Wednesday in a closed-door meeting. He will become one of the youngest speakers in history.
The Wisconsin Republican, who served as Mitt Romney’s running mate in the 2012 presidential election, initially said he was not interested in the position when Boehner announced his resignation from Congress at the end of September.
However, after Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R., Calif.) removed himself from the race for House speaker three weeks ago just before the GOP conference was expected to nominate him, Republicans looked to Ryan to fulfill the role.
Once Ryan ensured that he had the support of the three major House GOP caucuses last week, he formally launched a bid for House speaker.
"I leave with no regrets, no burdens. If anything, I leave the way I started—just a regular guy, humbled by the chance to do a big job. That’s what I’m most proud of," Boehner said in his farewell remarks Thursday morning. "Before I go, I want to express what an honor it’s been to serve with all of you. The people’s House is, in my view, the great embodiment of the American dream."
He resigns as speaker immediately and will retire from Congress at the end of the month.