HARRISBURG — The narrowly divided state House of Representatives on Tuesday resolved a logjam over control of the chamber by making its new speaker a Reading-area Democrat who was nominated by Western Pennsylvania conservative Republicans.

The chamber voted 115-85 to make Rep. Mark Rozzi of Berks County its speaker after Republicans were unable to convert their 101-99 majority into a vote to retain the speakership.

Mr. Rozzi, who began his sixth two-year term this week, is best known as a champion of the effort to give victims of child sexual abuse another chance to sue perpetrators or institutions that covered it up over claims that are barred by time limits in current law.

He worked alongside Democratic Gov.-elect Josh Shapiro in pushing for the lawsuit window after Mr. Shapiro, as attorney general, unveiled a landmark grand jury report on his office’s investigation into the state’s Roman Catholic dioceses.

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Mr. Rozzi said he would be independent, pledging to not caucus with either Republicans or Democrats and to staff his office with members of both parties. He decried dysfunction and obstruction in the chamber’s politics, and said “never has this House been so divided.”