Topline
Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced she would not run for reelection in 2026, retiring after an almost 40-year career representing her San Francisco district in Congress.
Pelosi twice served as leader of the Democratic Party in the House of Representative for 20 years, two terms as the first and so far only female Speaker of the House.
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Key Facts
Pelosi, 85, led the Democratic Party in the House of Representatives for about 20 years, and became known as a savvy and pragmatic political operator.
“I will not be seeking reelection to Congress,” Pelosi said in a video message addressed to her San Francisco constituents on Thursday, adding “with a grateful heart, I look forward to my final year of service as your proud representative.”
The announcement came after one final electoral victory for the California Democrat—Pelosi was involved in fundraising and campaigning to pass Prop 50, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s effort to redraw the state’s congressional map to favor Democrats, with Politico reporting she helped raise tens of millions of dollars in funding.
Pelosi became the first female Speaker of the House after Democrats regained control of congress in 2007, and went on to serve two nonconsecutive terms leading her party in Congress.
Crucial Quote
“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 on Thursday. “I have truly loved serving as your voice in Congress, and I have always honored the song of St. Francis, ‘Lord make an instrument of thy peace,’ the anthem of our city.”
Big Number
39. That’s how many years Pelosi will have served in Congress after she leaves office after her current term. She was first elected to her California seat after a special election in 1987 and has served 20 consecutive terms in office. She was named Democratic Minority Leader in 2002, and became Speaker when Democrats regained control of the House in 2006. Her first term as Speaker ended in 2011, after Republicans retook control of Congress following the 2010 midterm elections. Pelosi returned to her position as Minority Leader, and became the first congressperson in over 60 years to serve two nonconsecutive stints as Speaker when Democrats retook the house after the 2018 elections.
Key Background
Pelosi defied observers and political analysts who expected her to retire before the 2024 elections, but the California congressperson consistently shrugged off the pressure. “People make their own decisions about their timing, and they don’t have to comply with somebody else’s view of how that should be,” Pelosi told Forbes in 2021, just before running for reelection again for the 19th time. However, Pelosi was likely to face a tougher than usual primary challenge in the upcoming 2026 elections. Earlier this year, Saikat Chakrabarti, a former chief of staff for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., announced a primary challenge for Pelosi’s seat from the left. State Senator Scott Wiener, a more moderate state legislator, announced his own candidacy weeks before Pelosi’s retirement announcement.
Source: https://www.forbes.com/sites/zacharyfolk/2025/11/06/former-house-speaker-nancy-pelosi-will-retire-after-almost-40-years-in-congress/
