Nancy Pelosi announces her retirement after groundbreaking career
Former House speaker Nancy Pelosi announced on social media Nov. 6 that she won't run for another term, the end of a groundbreaking career that made her the most powerful woman in the nation's history.
"I will not be seeking reelection to Congress," she said in a six-minute video addressed to her constituents that began, "Dear San Francisco." "With a grateful heart, I look forward to my final year of service as your proud representative."
More: Nancy Pelosi's 'old school' career in Congress, from Obamacare to impeachment
The congresswoman from San Francisco, a liberal stalwart who was revered by her supporters and reviled by her foes, at 85 was facing growing grumbles that after 20 terms it was time for her to step aside. State Rep. Scott Wiener already had announced he would seek the Democratic nomination next year, and other contenders are sure to follow for the solidly Democratic seat.
During two stints as the highest-ranking member of Congress, Pelosi led two impeachments of President Donald Trump and engineered efforts to convince President Joe Biden to drop his bid for a second term. She pushed through the Affordable Care Act, the biggest expansion of health care in a half-century, and the controversial financial bailout in 2008 that economists say averted another Great Depression.
In the video, she also took credit for "bringing home billions of dollars for our city and our state" for transportation, environmental and other projects.
Pelosi arrived in Washington after winning a special election in 1987, her first bid for office after working as a political fundraiser and California Democratic chair.
She didn't say why she had decided to retire now, but she has dismissed the idea that she was at any risk of losing the election.
Nancy Pelosi, pictured on Jan. 30, 1987, was the first woman to serve as Speaker of the House of Representatives, a position she held from 2007-2011 and 2019-2023. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, Pelosi settled in San Francisco with her husband in the 1960s.
She was first elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in a special election in 1987, representing California's 5th district, which later became the 8th, 12th, and currently 11th district.
Pelosi rose through the Democratic Party ranks to become House Minority Leader and then Speaker. She played a key role in major legislation, including the Affordable Care Act. She still represents California's 11th Congressional District.
"I have no doubt that if I decided to run, I would win," she had told CNN a few days earlier. "That isn't arrogance; it's competence."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Nancy Pelosi to retire after groundbreaking career as House speaker
