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Nancy Pelosi to retire after four decades in Congress, marking the end of an era in US politics
Nancy Pelosi announced on Thursday that she will not be seeking re-election in 2026.
Nancy Pelosi, the first and only woman to serve as Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, announced on Thursday that she will not seek re-election in 2026, ending nearly four decades of service in Congress.
“I will not be seeking re-election to Congress,” she declared, adding, “With a grateful heart, I look forward to my final year of service.”
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Her announcement comes after the passing of Proposition 50
The move comes on the heels of California’s Proposition 50 passing, a redistricting measure backed by Democrats and long supported by Pelosi.
According to NBC's report, Senior Democrats privately acknowledged they had long anticipated this moment. “I think she’s out. She’s going to go out with Prop 50 overwhelmingly passing.”
After the retirement announcement, President Donald Trump told Fox News, “The retirement of Nancy Pelosi is a great thing for America. She was evil, corrupt, and only focused on bad things for our country.”
Why is her retirement a significant change?
Pelosi, 85, first elected in 1987, became speaker from 2007-11 and again from 2019-23, and was instrumental in major legislative efforts such as the Affordable Care Act and the Dodd-Frank reforms.
Her departure creates a power vacuum in the Democratic Party and opens up a fiercely contested race in her San Francisco-based seat.
Pelosi's influence has shaped various pieces of legislation at Capitol Hill. As Hakeem Jeffries called her, she is the “greatest Speaker of all time.”
She was also the speaker who tried unsuccessfully to impeach Trump in his first term. “This president is impeached for life, regardless of any gamesmanship on the part of Mitch McConnell. There is nothing the Senate can do to ever erase that,” she had said following the first House impeachment.
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Who are her successors?
With Pelosi stepping aside, Democrats like Scott Wiener and Saikat Chakrabarti are already positioning themselves for her seat, signalling a rather progressive shift.
Meanwhile, the national party must reckon with the loss of one of its most formidable fundraisers and tactical operators.
