Trent Kelly sworn in as House member

Mississippi Republican Trent Kelly became the newest member of the House on Tuesday.

Kelly won a special election last week to fill the seat previously held by former Rep. Alan Nunnelee (R-Miss.), who died of brain cancer in February.

The House now stands at 246 Republicans and 188 Democrats, with one vacancy. A successor for ex-Rep. Aaron Schock (R-Ill.) has not yet been decided, though the seat is expected to stay in GOP hands.

{mosads}Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) paused the House’s first evening vote series to swear Kelly into office.

Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.) invoked the memory of Nunnelee, who served in the House from 2011 until this year, while introducing Kelly.

“As he steps into his seat, we hope he will follow Alan’s example of service and dedication to the people of Mississippi,” Thompson said.

Kelly, a district attorney, will finish out Nunnelee’s term representing Mississippi’s 1st District. He easily defeated Democrat Walter Zinn in the special election and was the early favorite among the 12 Republicans vying for the seat.

Upon delivering his oath of office, Kelly thanked his family, friends and constituents for supporting his election to the House.

“I’m humbled and honored to be able to serve this great nation in this capacity,” Kelly said in a brief House floor speech.