Nancy Pelosi has been nominated by House Democrats to lead them in the new US Congress.
Ms Pelosi, who is running for speaker unopposed, must still face a showdown vote in January when the full House convenes.
Her nomination comes as some Democrats are calling for new leadership.
The California Democrat will need 218 votes, the majority of the full House, to be elected speaker in January.
Although the Democrats are taking control of the House with at least 233 seats, some in the party have pledged that they will not back Ms Pelosi for speaker.
"Are there dissenters? Yes," Ms Pelosi said. "But I expect to have a powerful vote going forward."
In a letter to colleagues ahead of the vote, Ms Pelosi acknowledged those seeking change.
"We all agree that history is in a hurry, and we need to accelerate the pace of change in Congress," she said.
In her letter she marked the "historic" class of new first-term lawmakers, which is the largest since Watergate, who led Democrats to the majority in the midterm election.
"My responsibility is to recognise the myriad of talent and tools at our disposal to take us in to the future by showcasing the idealism, intellect and imagination of our caucus," she wrote.
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Ms Pelosi was the first woman to be speaker when Democrats had the House majority from 2007 to 2011.
The house speaker is second in line to the presidency after the vice-president.
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