Nancy Pelosi, Only Woman To Serve As Speaker, Sets Exit Date From Congress

By Joe Lombardi From Daily Voice

Nancy Pelosi, the trailblazing former House speaker who twice led Democrats and helped drive landmark laws, says she will retire from Congress when her current term ends, closing a career that reshaped American power and party politics.

Her current term concludes on Jan. 3, 2027.

In a video message released Thursday, Nov. 6, Pelosi, 85, told San Francisco constituents she will not seek reelection, ending a nearly four-decade run that began with a 1987 special election win.

Her tenure included two stretches as speaker and a defining role shepherding party priorities through crises from the financial collapse to the pandemic. .

Pelosi was the first and only woman to serve as Speaker of the House, holding the gavel from 2007 to 2011 and again from 2019 to 2023.

She helped pass marquee legislation including the Affordable Care Act and later the American Rescue Plan, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, the CHIPS and Science Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act.

She also presided as the House impeached President Donald Trump twice, with the Senate acquitting both times.

Her announcement opens a prized San Francisco seat that will likely draw a crowded Democratic field. It follows California voters’ approval of a redistricting measure she supported, a move that adds another wrinkle to local politics as would-be successors maneuver for 2026.

Pelosi’s path to power began long before Washington. The daughter of Baltimore congressman and mayor Thomas D’Alesandro Jr., she grew up steeped in ward politics and community organizing, then married Paul Pelosi and focused on raising their children before entering public life in earnest.

After party work in California, she won her House seat in 1987 and rose quickly, becoming minority whip in 2001 and minority leader in 2002, the first woman to lead a party in either chamber.

Through the years, Pelosi built a reputation as a disciplined vote counter and prolific fundraiser, admired by allies and scorned by opponents, but rarely ignored. She said her final year will be devoted to serving her district and preparing the next generation, urging San Francisco to recognize its power going forward