Former Speaker of the House announces retirement from Congress
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) listen as IBEW union member Lovette Jacobs delivers remarks and introduces President Joe Biden at the celebration event for the Inflation Reduction Act, Tuesday, September 13, 2022, on the South Lawn of the White House. (Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz)
Nancy Pelosi (D-Cali) officially stated that she will not be running for office again in the 2026 midterms.
Article by Abigail Gambla, Assistant Chief White House Producer
WASHINGTON - Nancy Pelosi, a Democratic representative from California announced her retirement from Congress on November 6th. Pelosi, 85, had previously served as the 52nd speaker of the House of Representatives for a total of eight years, from 2007 to 2011 and 2019 to 2023. She was the first and only woman to have held the position, cementing herself in history.
“I will not be seeking reelection to Congress,” Pelosi said in a video statement.
Pelosi is currently in her 20th term in Congress, having been elected to represent the district encompassing San Francisco for nearly forty years. In her tenure, Pelosi had a critical role in the passing of several acts, including the Biden Administration’s American Rescue Plan to provide Covid-19 relief packages and the Obama Administration’s Affordable Care Act.
Several congressmen and former officials have commented on Pelosi's decision to retire.
“She is the most effective speaker in American history,” Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif) told NBC News.
House Minority Leader Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) echoed similar sentiments. “Her tenure has been iconic, legendary, historic, and transformational,” he stated.
Notably, former president Barack Obama tweeted on Pelosi’s accomplishments in Congress. “For almost four decades, Nancy Pelosi has served the American people and worked to make our country better. No one was more skilled at bringing people together and getting legislation passed – and I will always be grateful for her support of the Affordable Care Act,” he noted. He applauded her representation of the Democratic Party, and wished her the best moving forward.
Reporters questioned that the announcement was timed specifically after California passed Proposition 50, a ballot measure that briefly suspended the state’s current redistricting commission, allowing the state to create new congressional maps drawn to favor Democrats in the 2026 election. Pelosi strongly advocated for the measure to counter President Donald Trump’s redistricting efforts in other red states across the country.
The reason for her decision remains ambiguous, but Chief Capitol Hill Correspondent Ryan Nobles commented that there was certainly a calculated motive behind the timing of the retirement. “This decision to step away from public life was an example of that methodical decision making. She’s always thinking about what happens 5, 10, 16 months down the road, not just what happens today,” Nobles told NBC News.
Nobles assured that although Pelosi was stepping away from Congress in the future, it wouldn’t diminish her dominant presence in Congress now. “She’s still got a little more than a year left in her term, and it's expected that she will remain a powerful voice and play an active role in democrats efforts to win back the House majority in the 2026 midterms.”
In the final moments of her announcement video, Pelosi reflected similarly on continuing to be an active role in government, urging others to do the same. “We have always led the way, and now we must continue to do so by remaining full participants in our democracy.”