Nancy Pelosi brings down curtain on congressional career with announcement
Washington DC - Former House speaker Nancy Pelosi announced on Thursday that she will not be seeking re-election in 2026, marking the end of her decades-long congressional career.
In a video targeted at her hometown constituents in San Francisco, the 85-year-old Democrat said that she would serve her final year "with a grateful heart."
Pelosi – whose term ends in January 2027 – was the first woman to lead a major political party in Congress.
After winning a special election in 1987, she quickly rose through the ranks and eventually became House speaker in 2019.
She is in her 19th term and has represented her San Francisco-area district for 38 years.
Supporters praised her for her ability to corral an often fractious caucus through difficult votes, including Barack Obama's signature Affordable Care Act and Joe Biden's infrastructure programs.
Republicans painted her as the driving force behind a liberal elite that had turned its back on American values and was undermining the social fabric, while leftwing critics highlighted her conservatism and role in an increasingly aging and disconnected leadership.
Trump especially made her a target, repeatedly insulting her as "crazy Nancy." Pelosi, in turn, favored symbolic actions such as demonstratively ripping up a copy of his State of the Union speech on live TV.
Rumors of her departure had been swirling for weeks on Capitol Hill, but she deflected questions over her political future, insisting that she was focused on a redistricting reform initiative in California that passed on Tuesday.
"I say to my colleagues in the House all the time, no matter what title they have bestowed upon me – speaker, leader, whip – there has been no greater honor for me than to stand on the House floor and say, I speak for the people of San Francisco," Pelosi said.
"I have truly loved serving as your voice. As we go forward, my message to the city I love is this: San Francisco, know your power."
Cover photo: REUTERS