On November 6, 2025, former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, the longest-serving and most influential Democratic leader in modern U.S. history, announced that she will not seek reelection and will retire at the end of her current term in early 2027.
This caps a nearly 40-year career in Congress, where she shattered barriers as the first woman to serve as Speaker of the House (in 2007 and again in 2019) and wielded unmatched power in advancing Democratic priorities.
Pelosi, 85, shared the news in a heartfelt video message to her San Francisco constituents, reflecting on her journey from a Baltimore political family to a trailblazing figure in Washington. She emphasized her gratitude to the city she has represented since her first election in a 1987 special election, saying, “With a grateful heart, I look forward to my final year of service as your proud representative.”
The decision comes amid broader Democratic calls for generational change, following the party’s losses in the 2024 elections and President Biden’s withdrawal from the race. Pelosi stepped down from House leadership in 2023 after Democrats lost the majority, but she remained a key behind-the-scenes influencer, including in efforts to redraw California’s congressional maps to benefit Democrats ahead of the 2026 midterms—a measure that passed resoundingly just days before her announcement.
Often called the “most consequential speaker ever” by colleagues, Pelosi orchestrated landmark legislation like the Affordable Care Act, the 2018 midterm “blue wave,” and responses to the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. She faced intense conservative backlash—nicknamed “Crazy Nancy” by former President Trump—and personal threats, including the 2022 hammer attack on her husband, Paul Pelosi.
Her career also included viral moments, like ripping up Trump’s State of the Union speech in 2020.
Pelosi’s retirement opens her safely Democratic 11th Congressional District (San Francisco) to a crowded primary in 2026. Potential contenders include:
State Sen. Scott Wiener, a moderate who had pledged to wait for her exit.
Saikat Chakrabarti, former chief of staff to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, running on a progressive, anti-corruption platform.
Other ambitious Democrats eyeing the seat, fueling what Axios called a “political frenzy.”