HOUSE DEMS RE-ELECT PELOSI

washignton» House Democrats re-elected Nancy Pelosi as their leader Wednesday, ratifying the status quo in a changing Washington despite widespread frustration over the party’s direction.

That disenchantment manifested itself in 63 lawmakers supporting Pelosi’s opponent, Ohio Rep. Tim Ryan, in the secret-ballot vote. That was by far the largest defection Pelosi has suffered since she began leading House Democrats in 2002.

Still, the California lawmaker had declared ahead of time that more than two-thirds of the caucus was supporting her, and she won almost exactly two-thirds with 134 votes. It was a testament to her vote-counting skills and to her ability to hang onto power even in dark days for Democrats, as they confront a capital that will be fully controlled by the GOP next year.

She disputed the suggestion she might be concerned about the defections she suffered. “They weren’t defections; I had two-thirds of the vote,” Pelosi said, repeating “two-thirds, two-thirds” to a group of reporters.

Mexico disappointed at Carrier agreement to keep jobs in U.S. B

mexico city» Officials in the state of Nuevo Leon expressed disappointment Wednesday at Carrier Corp.’s announcement it will keep hundreds of jobs in the United States rather than send them south of the border.

Carrier said it had made a deal with President-elect Donald Trump to keep the jobs at its plant in Indiana.

Carrier operates one plant in Nuevo Leon and has built but not yet occupied another one there as part of a planned $200 million expansion.

At a news conference, the mayor of Santa Catarina, the Monterrey suburb where the Carrier plant is, said he had not heard from the company.

Washington presidential elector joins anti-Trump movement B

olympia, wash.» A Democratic presidential elector from Washington said Wednesday she is joining a national effort to try and deny Trump the presidency at the Electoral College.

Levi Guerra, a 19-yearold from the small town of Warden in central Washington, announced at the state Capitol that she is now part of the so-called Hamilton Electors, a group that includes fellow Washington elector P. Bret Chiafalo, who joined Guerra at the Capitol.

The group seeks to block Trump by encouraging Democratic and Republican electors in every state to unite behind a to-be-determined consensus Republican candidate.

Trump names House PR person to staff, treasurer as adviser B

phoenix» Trump has named Arizona House spokeswoman Stephanie Grisham to a press relations post on his transition team and added state Treasurer Jeff DeWit as a special adviser for operations.

Grisham has been on leave from her Arizona job since shortly after the Legislature adjourned in May working on press matters for the Trump campaign. She said Wednesday that she will travel with Trump to handle the protective press pool that accompanies Trump and to act as a spokeswoman. Grisham also confirmed that she will be leaving her Arizona House job, although she didn’t set a date.