Nancy Pelosi, the California Democrat and former Speaker of the House, has announced her retirement from Congress, bringing an end to a decades-long career that established her as one of the most powerful and consequential figures in US politics. In a video message released on Thursday, Pelosi, who is 85, confirmed that she will not seek re-election to Congress at the end of her current term in January 2027.
Pelosi’s political career is highly significant; she served as the first woman to hold the position of Speaker of the House and led her party in the lower chamber of Congress from 2003 until 2023. In her farewell message, she reflected: “We have made history, we have made progress. 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.” She first entered Congress in 1987 to represent San Francisco.
Throughout her tenure, particularly during her two stints as Speaker—2007 to 2011 and 2019 to 2023—Pelosi played a critical role in advancing and thwarting the agendas of multiple presidents. She is widely credited with marshalling the passage of former President Barack Obama’s signature healthcare legislation, the Affordable Care Act, and major bills addressing infrastructure and climate change during President Joe Biden’s administration.
Pelosi was also known for her direct and unflinching opposition to Donald Trump, famously ripping up a copy of his State of the Union address behind his back. She led two impeachment efforts against Trump: the first in 2019 over his dealings with Ukraine and the second in 2021, accusing him of inciting the storming of the Capitol. Both efforts ultimately failed when the Senate acquitted him.
Reacting to her retirement announcement, President Trump called Pelosi “an evil woman,” telling reporters in the Oval Office, “I’m glad she’s retiring. I think she did the country a great service by retiring.” Since stepping down from Democratic leadership in 2022, when she was succeeded by Representative Hakeem Jeffries, Pelosi has remained a major political influence, most recently helping to ensure the passage of a California redistricting effort aimed at helping Democrats in the 2026 midterms.
