Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi Will Not Seek Reelection - Beritaja

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., attends a property convention pinch US House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., connected the steps of the US Capitol successful Washington, DC, connected October 15, 2025. ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP

ROBERTO SCHMIDT/AFP

Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi announced Thursday she will not activity reelection, capping an historical profession astatine 20 terms. 

"I person genuinely loved serving arsenic your sound successful Congress," the California Democrat, 85, said successful a video dedicated to her San Francisco constituents. "With a grateful heart, I look guardant to my last twelvemonth of work arsenic your proud representative."

Pelosi's departure will people the extremity of an era successful Congress. In 2007, she became the first female elected to service arsenic Speaker of the House.

"For our daughters and our granddaughters: coming we person surgery the marble ceiling," she said astatine the time.

As Speaker and House Democrats' leader, Pelosi was known for her shrewd governmental judgement and incisive skills arsenic a legislative strategist.

She was besides a accordant governmental target for Republicans, who formed her — a San Francisco multi-millionaire — arsenic the eventual coastal elitist. Pelosi, who raised 5 children earlier coming to Congress, rejected the characterization.

Rep. California Nancy Pelosi holds a watch connected June 4, 1991 reportedly smuggled retired of China. - Pelosi said the watches were fixed to soldiers who helped crush the Tiananmen Square protesters. CHRIS ASSAF/AFP

CHRIS ASSAF/AFP

"From room to Congress"

Pelosi was first elected successful a typical predetermination successful 1987. She famously claimed she went "from the room to the Congress" aft raising her children and staying progressive successful authorities politics.

Fond of saying "Congress has the powerfulness of the purse," she began her clip connected Capitol Hill arsenic an appropriator, a domiciled she drew from passim her career. She quickly roseate done Democratic activity and became the first female to lead a awesome statement successful either enclosure erstwhile she was elected arsenic the House Democratic Minority leader successful 2002.

She led Democrats to retake the House mostly successful 2006 and aft her history-making speakership predetermination successful 2007, Pelosi held the gavel for 4 years — until Republicans won backmost power of the chamber.

Pelosi, who often called herself a "master legislator," could reliably present Democratic votes connected must-pass authorities erstwhile necessary, though her first speakership came astatine a analyzable clip — a financial situation was looming and yet brought the U.S. system to its knees.

In September 2008, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke huddled pinch legislature leaders successful the speaker's agency connected the 2nd level of the U.S. Capitol. There, Paulson outlined a pending financial situation "from the depths of hell," arsenic Pelosi later described it. The Bush management was asking Congress for $700 cardinal to prop up the U.S. economy.

"When I asked Bernanke what he thought of the secretary's characterization, he said, 'If we do not enactment immediately, we will not person an system by Monday.' This was Thursday night. Everyone successful the room was flabbergasted," Pelosi later recalled.

After Barack Obama was elected that fall, Pelosi pushed guardant the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, a stimulus package to antagonistic the effects of the Great Recession. She was besides instrumental successful passing the Dodd-Frank reforms to the banking manufacture and was an designer of the Affordable Care Act. The sweeping wellness attraction betterment rule became the signature accomplishment of Obama's presidency.

In the aftermath of those bills, the far-right Tea Party activity helped harden Republican guidance to Obama and Democrats much broadly, and Democrats saw awesome losses successful the 2010 midterm elections that relegated Democrats to the number and ended Pelosi's first tally arsenic speaker. Obama himself described the conclusion arsenic "a shellacking."

There was increasing anticipation that Pelosi would discontinue from Congress aft losing the gavel and power of the House. She was featured successful onslaught ads successful plaything districts, wherever Republicans utilized her image relentlessly and efficaciously to qualify the full statement arsenic far-left elitists.

Ultimately, Pelosi reclaimed the gavel successful 2019 — the first personification to do truthful successful complete 60 years. Originally thought by analysts to beryllium excessively wide to beryllium an effective leader, her bequest is yet that of a centrist and legislative pragmatist.

A agelong tenure

Pelosi served alongside 4 presidents during her clip arsenic speaker.

Her contentious narration pinch erstwhile Republican President George W. Bush was an early showcase of her expertise to move from fierce professional to captious legislating partner.

Her narration pinch President Trump was much fractious. She led two presidential impeachments and created the bipartisan Select Committee to analyse the Jan. 6 Attack connected the U.S. Capitol.

It was the predetermination of President Joe Biden and Democrats gaining control of some chambers of Congress that saw Pelosi enact trillions successful caller spending done the Inflation Reduction Act, the CHIPS measure and the bipartisan infrastructure law.

When Democrats mislaid power of the enclosure successful the 2022 midterm elections, Pelosi stepped down from leadership amid demands for a turnover to let a caller procreation of leaders to ascend. Pelosi continued to service successful the House during a clip erstwhile Democrats continued to hunt for a way retired of the number successful Washington.

"History will statement she is the about consequential speaker of the House of Representatives successful our history," then-President Biden said astatine the time.

That aforesaid year, Pelosi's husband, Paul, was violently attacked by an intruder who collapsed into their location demanding to spot the then-speaker. Paul Pelosi underwent room to repair a skull fracture and superior injuries to his correct limb and hands. The onslaught exemplified the increase successful governmental unit successful the country.

Some 2 years later, Pelosi reportedly played a domiciled privately and publically successful encouraging Biden to withdraw from the 2024 statesmanlike race.

In 2024, Pelosi was awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the country's highest civilian honor.

Earlier this year, Pelosi signaled she would hold to make an announcement connected her governmental early until aft California voted connected Proposition 50, a ballot measurement that would alteration authorities leaders to temporarily redraw existent legislature lines to favour Democrats.

In a caller question and reply connected CNN, Pelosi said she had "no uncertainty that if I decided to run, I would win."

"It isn't arrogant," she said. "It's confident."