Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi is not going to search reelection : NPR by means of NewsFlicks

Former Area Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., attends a press convention with US Area Minority Chief Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., at the steps of the United States Capitol in Washington, DC, on October 15, 2025.

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Former Speaker of the Area Nancy Pelosi introduced Thursday she is not going to search reelection, capping an historical profession at 20 phrases. 

“I’ve actually cherished serving as your voice in Congress,” the California Democrat, 85, mentioned in a video devoted to her San Francisco constituents. “With a thankful center, I sit up for my ultimate 12 months of carrier as your proud consultant.”

Pelosi’s departure will mark the top of an generation in Congress. In 2007, she was the primary lady elected to function Speaker of the Area.

“For our daughters and our granddaughters: these days we’ve got damaged the marble ceiling,” she mentioned on the time.

As Speaker and Area Democrats’ chief, Pelosi was once recognized for her shrewd political judgment and incisive talents as a legislative strategist.

She was once additionally a constant political goal for Republicans, who solid her — a San Francisco rich person — as without equal coastal elitist. Pelosi, who raised 5 youngsters sooner than coming to Congress, rejected the characterization.

Rep. California Nancy Pelosi holds an eye fixed on June 4, 1991 reportedly smuggled out of China. – Pelosi mentioned the watches got to infantrymen who helped overwhelm the Tiananmen Sq. protesters.

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“From kitchen to Congress”

Pelosi was once first elected in a different election in 1987. She famously claimed she went “from the kitchen to the Congress” after elevating her youngsters and staying energetic in state politics.

Fond of claiming “Congress has the ability of the handbag,” she started her time on Capitol Hill as an appropriator, a job she drew from all through her profession. She briefly rose via Democratic management and was the primary lady to guide a significant birthday party in both chamber when she was once elected because the Area Democratic Minority chief in 2002.

She led Democrats to retake the Area majority in 2006 and after her history-making speakership election in 2007, Pelosi held the gavel for 4 years — till Republicans gained again regulate of the chamber.

Pelosi, who ceaselessly referred to as herself a “grasp legislator,” may reliably ship Democratic votes on must-pass law when vital, even if her first speakership got here at an advanced time — a monetary disaster was once looming and in the end introduced the U.S. financial system to its knees.

In September 2008, Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson and Fed Chairman Ben Bernanke huddled with congressional leaders within the speaker’s place of job on the second one flooring of the U.S. Capitol. There, Paulson defined a pending monetary disaster “from the depths of hell,” as Pelosi later described it. The Bush management was once asking Congress for $700 billion to prop up the U.S. financial system.

“After I requested Bernanke what he considered the secretary’s characterization, he mentioned, ‘If we don’t act in an instant, we can no longer have an financial system by means of Monday.’ This was once Thursday night time. Everybody within the room was once flabbergasted,” Pelosi later recalled.

After Barack Obama was once elected that fall, Pelosi driven ahead the American Restoration and Reinvestment Act, a stimulus package deal to counter the consequences of the Nice Recession. She was once additionally instrumental in passing the Dodd-Frank reforms to the banking business and was once an architect of the Reasonably priced Care Act. The sweeping well being care reform regulation was the signature fulfillment of Obama’s presidency.

Within the wake of the ones expenses, the far-right Tea Celebration motion helped harden Republican opposition to Obama and Democrats extra widely, and Democrats noticed main losses within the 2010 midterm elections that relegated Democrats to the minority and ended Pelosi’s first run as speaker. Obama himself described the defeat as “a shellacking.”

There was once rising expectation that Pelosi would retire from Congress after dropping the gavel and regulate of the Area. She was once featured in assault advertisements in swing districts, the place Republicans used her symbol relentlessly and successfully to signify all the birthday party as far-left elitists.

In the long run, Pelosi reclaimed the gavel in 2019 — the primary individual to take action in over 60 years. Initially idea by means of analysts to be too liberal to be an efficient chief, her legacy is in the end that of a centrist and legislative pragmatist.

An extended tenure

Pelosi served along 4 presidents all through her time as speaker.

Her contentious dating with former Republican President George W. Bush was once an early show off of her skill to show from competitive critic to essential legislating spouse.

Her dating with President Trump was once extra fractious. She led two presidential impeachments and created the bipartisan Make a choice Committee to analyze the Jan. 6 Assault at the U.S. Capitol.

It was once the election of President Joe Biden and Democrats gaining regulate of each chambers of Congress that noticed Pelosi enact trillions in new spending in the course of the Inflation Relief Act, the CHIPS invoice and the bipartisan infrastructure regulation.

When Democrats misplaced regulate of the chamber within the 2022 midterm elections, Pelosi stepped down from management amid calls for for a turnover to permit a brand new technology of leaders to ascend. Pelosi persevered to serve within the Area all through a time when Democrats persevered to seek for a trail out of the minority in Washington.

“Historical past will word she is probably the most consequential speaker of the Area of Representatives in our historical past,” then-President Biden mentioned on the time.

That very same 12 months, Pelosi’s husband, Paul, was once violently attacked by means of an outsider who broke into their house hard to peer the then-speaker. Paul Pelosi underwent surgical operation to fix a cranium fracture and critical accidents to his correct arm and fingers. The assault exemplified the build up in political violence within the nation.

Some two years later, Pelosi reportedly performed a job privately and publicly in encouraging Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race.

In 2024, Pelosi was once awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the rustic’s absolute best civilian honor.

Previous this 12 months, Pelosi signaled she would wait to make a statement on her political long term till after California voted on Proposition 50, a poll measure that will permit state leaders to briefly redraw present congressional traces to prefer Democrats.

In a up to date interview on CNN, Pelosi mentioned she had “for sure that if I determined to run, I might win.”

“It’s not conceited,” she mentioned. “It is assured.”