Republicans, who won a net gain of at least 61 seats in the elections, will control the House next year. They unanimously chose to be led once again by veteran Ohio Rep. John Boehner, now in line to inherit the speaker's gavel from Pelosi.

Pelosi turned back a challenge from North Carolina Rep. Heath Shuler, a member of the party's diminished centrist "Blue Dog" faction, in a 150-43 vote. The speaker, now set to be House minority leader in January, retained the solid support of party liberals, who have noted her fundraising prowess and past ability to lead congressional Democrats to power, among other things.

An earlier motion to delay the Democratic leadership vote until December 8 was easily defeated in a 68-129 vote. Some rank-and-file members were seeking more time to "fully understand the causes of our historic losses" in the midterm elections, according to the resolution.

Addressing reporters after her election, Pelosi said the message Democrats got on Election Day is that people "want jobs." Chalking up Democratic losses to the 9.6 unemployment rate, she said Democrats would "strive to work together, wherever possible, in a bipartisan way" on both job creation and deficit reduction.

On the Republican side of the aisle, Boehner will be followed by Virginia Rep. Eric Cantor, soon to be majority leader. California Rep. Kevin McCarthy is slated to become majority whip, with Texas Rep. Jeb Hensarling filling the fourth slot.

The massive 80-plus-member GOP freshman class will have two representatives in the party's leadership, South Dakota's Kristi Noem and South Carolina's Tim Scott -- one of two new African-American House Republicans.

Boehner will have to balance competing interests within the suddenly swollen ranks of his party's caucus. The incoming speaker will have to work with the Obama administration on various legislative priorities while also placating Tea Party activists who won seats on a platform of opposing the White House and sticking to strict conservative principles.