Nancy Pelosi has been elected speaker of the United States House of Representatives.
The veteran San Francisco Democrat eased to the speakership on Thursday with a vote of 220 to Republican Kevin McCarthy's 192.
It puts her in a key position to lead the opposition to president Donald Trump’s agenda.
Ms Pelosi is the only woman to have held the office. She was also speaker between 2007 and 2011.
In accepting the gavel, Ms Pelosi nodded to divisions in US politics with a pledge to "reach across the aisle in this chamber and across the divisions across our nation”.
She said: "The floor of this House must be America's town hall, where the people will see our debates and where their voices will be heard and affect our decisions."
In outlining Democratic priorities, Ms Pelosi talked about lowering healthcare costs, investing in green infrastructure and restoring "integrity to government”.
She added: "We must be champions of the middle class and all those who aspire to it, because the middle class is the backbone of our democracy.”
With Mr Trump in the White House and Republicans controlling the Senate, 78-year-old Ms Pelosi's return to the speaker's office - to lead a Democratic majority with its biggest number of newcomers since Watergate - has shook the dynamic of Washington.
In November, a showdown vote had been predicted for Ms Pelosi, with some in her own party demanding younger leadership.
But one by one, Ms Pelosi peeled away the sceptics, turning "no" votes to "yes".
A smattering of other candidate received the remaining votes on Thursday, in a chamber which holds 435 seats.
Ms Pelosi has promised to serve no more than four years in office and make way for the next generation.
Additional reporting by agencies.
