Nancy Pelosi, first woman US House speaker, to retire from Congress

Nancy Pelosi, the first woman to serve as the powerful speaker of the US House of Representatives, said on Thursday that she would not run for re-election to Congress in 2026, ending the four-decade career of a Democratic figure often vilified by the right. The 85-year-old congresswoman, first elected in 1987, made her announcement two days after voters in California overwhelmingly approved “Proposition 50”, a state redistricting effort aimed at flipping five House seats to Democrats in next year’s midterm elections. “I will not be seeking re-election to Congress. With a grateful heart, I look forward to my final year of service,” Pelosi said in social media posts. California’s embrace of “Proposition 50” was in response to a similar move by Texas to boost Republicans’ chances. It was spearheaded by California’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, but was right in Pelosi’s wheelhouse. Thank you, San Francisco. pic.twitter.com/OP8ubeFzR6 — Nancy Pelosi (@TeamPelosi) November 6, 2025 Pelosi has been at the forefront in battling for control of the House and especially taking on Republican Donald Trump, who feuded with her in his first presidential term from 2017-2021. The two often exchanged sharp words, and Pelosi tried to topple Trump twice with House impeachments in late 2019 and early 2021. Senate Republicans acquitted him both times. Trump showed no signs of softening his rhetoric after Pelosi’s announcement. “I think she was a tremendous liability to the country. I thought she was an evil woman who did a poor job across the country, a lot in damages and reputation. I thought she was terrible,” he said in remarks from the White House Oval Office. Congressional Republicans largely withheld comment on Pelosi’s retirement announcement but congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene, a long-time Trump supporter, offered praise. “She had an incredible career for her party,” Greene told CNN. “I wish we could get things done for our party like Nancy Pelosi was able to deliver for her party,” she added. Among Pelosi’s biggest accomplishments as party leader was helping to enact Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act when he was president. She was also instrumental in passing the Dodd-Frank Act to put more guardrails on Wall Street after the 2008 financial crisis, as well as the economic stimulus package to help banks and others recover from the ensuing recession. Pelosi’s retirement follows years of younger Democrats chafing at elders hanging onto power and not doing enough to cultivate future leaders. That frustration was on display in the summer of 2024 when Joe Biden, the 81-year-old Democratic president, limped through a debate with Trump and weeks later dropped out of the race, in part due to pressure from Pelosi and other fellow Democrats. Pelosi was asked by Reuters during a 2022 round-table interview whether she had any career regrets, including the deepening rancour and divisions plaguing the House. She said she wished she had won more elections to deny Republicans power and “to make sure that a creature like Donald Trump never became president of the United States”. So deep was the animosity that it spilled into Trump’s 2020 State of the Union address, when he refused to shake her hand upon his arrival in the House chamber. She, in turn, stood up at the conclusion of his address and with dramatic flair ripped in half a copy of the speech, later saying she did so because every page contained a “lie”. While Pelosi accepted partisan fighting as a part of the job, the growing anger in US politics took a toll on her family in 2022 when a right-wing conspiracy theorist broke into her San Francisco home and struck her husband, Paul Pelosi, on the head with a hammer. He later recovered. With Pelosi’s exit from the national stage at the end of 2026, when her 20th term expires, Democrats nationwide will lose one of their highest-profile liberals at a time of party upheaval. But her move was not expected to scramble the party’s leadership races following the November 2026 midterm elections, when Democrats hope to recapture control of the 435-member House from Republicans. Three years ago, Pelosi retired from Democratic leadership, which included two four-year stints as speaker, from 2007-2011 and 2019-2023. Pelosi’s relinquishing of a job that is second in line to the presidency, after the vice-president, opened the way for younger Democrats to take control after years of trying to climb the ladder to power. Congressman Hakeem Jeffries of New York has Pelosi’s former role as House Democratic leader, while Senator Chuck Schumer, 74, continues as the party leader in the Senate. While there are tensions between Jeffries, 55, and more liberal Democrats, he is expected to be the choice for speaker if the party captures control of the House. “Nancy Pelosi is an iconic, legendary, transformational figure who has done so many things over so many years to make life better for so many people,” Jeffries said at a press conference on Monday when asked about Pelosi’s 2026 intentions. Additional reporting by Bloomberg

Nancy Pelosi, first woman US House speaker, to retire from Congress

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Trump calls Pelosi an ‘evil woman’ as his long-time political adversary announces her retirement

Trump calls Pelosi an ‘evil woman’ as his long-time political adversary announces her retirement