Rep. John Boehner (R, OH), Vice Chair of the House Agriculture Committee and Chair of the House Committee on Education & the Workforce, was elected GOP majority leader this week, replacing Rep. Tom DeLay (R, TX) and handily defeating acting leader Rep. Roy Blunt (R, MO), Rep. John Shadegg (R, AZ), and Rep. Jim Ryun (R, KS). Insiders were surprised Boehner, who formerly chaired the Republican Conference in the House, took the hotly contested leadership seat away from Blunt on only the second ballot. On the first ballot, Shadegg received 40 votes and Ryun, a surprise candidate, garnered only two votes. Under election procedures, the second ballot was between the top two vote getters. Boehner's first ballot tally of 79 votes surged to 122 with Shadegg's and Ryun's departure; Blunt garnered 109 votes. Blunt will remain House majority whip. Boehner will give up the chair of Education & Workplace as the new majority leader, with Rep. Howard "Buck" McKeon (R, CA) most likely to assume the chair.