Maloney will take the helm in the wake of Rep. Elijah Cummings's death in mid-October. As the most senior member, she had already been serving as the interim chair.

The race, while contested, was far less cutthroat than leadership elections under ordinary circumstances. Democrats across the caucus said they wanted to downplay any intracaucus drama that could potentially distract from their impeachment inquiry.

Two other candidates dropped out before Wednesday's caucus vote: Rep. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass), who dropped his bid after failing to secure enough votes in Tuesday's steering committee vote, and Rep. Jackie Speier (D-Calif.), a more junior member of the panel who had initially said she would challenge Maloney.

Some Democrats had privately doubted whether Maloney could successfully go up against GOP bulldogs on the panel, like Rep. Jim Jordan of Ohio.

In the closed-door caucus meeting, one of Connolly's supporters, Rep. Jennifer Wexton, specifically touted his ability to go after Jordan, describing him a "honey badger" who could eat a snake — a reference to a popular YouTube clip.

But Maloney's supporters dismissed some of the criticism as sexist, and argued that it was key to have a female voice alongside the two other white men leading the Democrats' impeachment inquiry.

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The New York Democrat had already been passed over once for the post; in 2011, Democrats picked Cummings for the top role on the panel in an attempt to combat the political firepower of then-Chairman Darrell Issa.

Maloney secured endorsements from top Democrats like House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.), who is also the most powerful black member in Congress.

She also won support from many in the caucus with her promise that she would focus on more than just investigating President Donald Trump over the next year — welcome news for moderates squeezed by the ongoing impeachment furor.

During the caucus-wide vote, Maloney was supported by Reps. Nydia Velazquez, Gwen Moore and Mark Takano.

