US House Ex-Speaker Nancy Pelosi Announces Retirement From Congress
In a video message released on Thursday, the 85-year-old California Democrat said she would not seek re-election when her current term ends in January 2027.
Former United States House Speaker, Nancy Pelosi has announced her retirement from Congress, marking the end of a historic and influential career that reshaped American politics over nearly four decades.
In a video message released on Thursday, the 85-year-old California Democrat said she would not seek re-election when her current term ends in January 2027.
We have made history, we have made progress,” Pelosi, America’s first female House of Representatives speaker, said.
“We have always led the way, and now we must continue to do so by remaining full participants in our democracy, and fighting for the American ideals we hold dear.”
“As we go forward, my message to the city I love is this: San Francisco, know your power,” she added.
First elected to Congress in 1987 at age 47, Pelosi quickly rose through the Democratic ranks to become the first woman to serve as Speaker of the House in 2007.
She held the position until 2011, then reclaimed it from 2019 to 2023, leading her party in the lower chamber from 2003 to 2023.
The Speaker of the House is the only congressional role explicitly mentioned in the U.S. Constitution and is second in the presidential line of succession after the vice president.
In that position, Pelosi became one of the most powerful figures in U.S. politics, helping to shape or block the agendas of multiple presidents.
She was widely credited with steering the passage of major legislation, including former President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act and President Joe Biden’s infrastructure and climate change bills.
Pelosi’s tenure was also marked by fierce confrontations with former President Donald Trump.
She famously tore up his State of the Union address on live television in 2020, a moment that came to define their combative relationship.
She led two impeachment efforts against Trump: the first in 2019 over his alleged attempt to pressure Ukraine into investigating Joe Biden, and the second in 2021 following the January 6 attack on the U.S. Capitol.
Capitol.
Trump was acquitted in both trials by the Republican-controlled Senate.
To Republicans, Pelosi became a polarising symbol of liberal politics, often portrayed as representing “coastal elites” and a “radical” agenda.
Yet to her allies, she was a disciplined tactician who delivered landmark victories despite narrow majorities in Congress.
Pelosi played a central role in passing much of Biden’s legislative agenda, including a Covid-19 relief bill, a bipartisan infrastructure package, sweeping environmental and social spending legislation, and a law protecting same-sex marriage.
She stepped down as House Democratic leader in 2022, succeeded by New York Representative Hakeem Jeffries, but remained an influential voice within the party.
Most recently, Pelosi helped spearhead the passage of California’s Proposition 50, a redistricting measure designed to help Democrats flip five House seats during the 2026 midterm elections.
Pelosi’s retirement closes a defining chapter in US political history.
As the first female Speaker and a dominant force in Congress for nearly 40 years, she leaves behind a legacy of trailblazing leadership, legislative achievement, and steadfast commitment to Democratic ideals
