WASHINGTON — Keeping his campaign promise not to vote for Nancy Pelosi for House speaker, new U.S. Rep. Joe Cunningham instead cast his first vote as a member of Congress for U.S. Rep. Cheri Bustos this afternoon.

Even without Cunningham’s vote, Pelosi is poised to comfortably win back the gavel with the support of the vast majority of other Democrats.

Though he decided to keep his alternative choice secret until shortly before Thursday’s vote on the House floor, Cunningham told The Post and Courier he wanted someone who would be a “fresh face” and help Democrats be competitive in more historically red districts.

Bustos, a 57-year-old Illinois Democrat, is also the new chairwoman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, which helps support the party’s candidates around the country with financial aid and other resources.

Cunningham, who won the state’s 1st Congressional District seat in November, began his campaign last year with a call for new leadership in both parties, a desire that he has not wavered from since.

As the first Democrat to win the district in decades, Cunningham is expected to face a stiff reelection challenge from Republicans in 2020 due to the district’s conservative track record. Bustos, who voted for Pelosi, will have significant control over how much national support his campaign receives.

Check back with this developing story.

Follow Jamie Lovegrove on Twitter @jslovegrove.