Nancy Pelosi Won't Seek Reelection, Ending 40-Year Career In Congress

WASHINGTON, DC — Nancy Pelosi, who spent nearly 40 years representing California in Congress and made history as the nation’s first female speaker of the House, won't seek re-election in 2026, she announced on Thursday.

"I will not be seeking re-election to Congress. With a grateful heart, I look forward to my final year of service as your proud representative," Pelosi, 85, said in a video message to San Francisco voters that also contained photos of her storied political career.

In the video, Pelosi said she plans to finish out her final year in office.

“My message to the city I love is this: San Francisco, know your power,” she said. “We have made history. We have made progress. We have always led the way.”

She continued, “And now we must continue to do so by remaining full participants in our democracy and fighting for the American ideals we hold dear.”

The decision, while not entirely unexpected, ricocheted across Washington and California as a seasoned generation of political leaders step aside ahead of next year's midterm elections. Some are leaving reluctantly, others with resolve, but many are facing challenges from newcomers eager to lead the Democratic Party and confront President Donald Trump.

Pelosi remains a political powerhouse and played a pivotal role with California's redistricting effort, Prop 50, and the party's comeback in this month's election. She maintains a robust schedule of public events and party fundraising, and her announced departure touches off a succession battle back home and leaves open questions about who will fill her behind-the-scenes leadership role at the Capitol.

An architect of the Affordable Care Act and a leader on the international stage, Pelosi came to politics later in life, a mother of five mostly grown children. She has represented San Francisco in Congress for 37 years and currently serves as speaker emerita of the House.

Among her achievements in Congress was the American Rescue Plan, which assisted Americans affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. She was pivotal in enshrining the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act into law, which helped restore women's ability to fight pay discrimination in the courts, and she spearheaded the historic repeal of the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, allowing LGBTQ+ Americans to serve their country openly.

In 2013, she was inducted into the National Women’s Hall of Fame at a ceremony in Seneca Falls, and in 2024, she was awarded by President Joe Biden the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the nation’s highest civilian honor.

She has long fended off calls for her to step aside by turning questions about her intentions into spirited rebuttals, asking if the same was being posed of her male colleagues on Capitol Hill.

Last year, Pelosi experienced a fall resulting in a hip fracture during a whirlwind congressional visit to allies in Europe. It was revealed she was rushed to a military hospital for surgery — after the group photo, in which she's seen smiling, poised on her trademark stiletto heels.

Pelosi's decision also comes as her husband of more than six decades, Paul Pelosi, was gravely injured three years ago when an intruder demanding to know “Where is Nancy?” broke into the couple’s home and beat him over the head with a hammer. His recovery from the attack, days before the 2022 midterm elections, is ongoing.

Ahead of the 2026 midterm elections, Pelosi faced a potential primary challenge in California. Left-wing newcomer Saikat Chakrabarti, who helped devise progressive superstar Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s political rise in New York, has mounted a campaign, and state Sen. Scott Wiener is also reported to be considering a run.

While Pelosi remains an unmatched force for the Democratic Party, having fundraised more than $1 billion over her career, her next steps are uncertain. First elected in 1987 after having worked in California state party politics, she has spent some four decades in public office.

Pelosi comes from a family tradition of public service, according to her biography. Her late father, Thomas D’Alesandro Jr., served as mayor of Baltimore for 12 years after representing the city for five terms in Congress. Her brother, Thomas D’Alesandro III, also served as mayor of Baltimore.

The Associated Press contributed reporting.