Nancy Pelosi, first female speaker of the House, won't seek re-election to Congress

Rep. Nancy Pelosi, who made history as the nation’s first female speaker of the House and led House Democrats for two decades, will not seek re-election next year.

WASHINGTON — In a final love letter to San Francisco, Rep. Nancy Pelosi, who made history as the nation’s first female speaker of the House and twice served in that top job, said Thursday she will not seek re-election in 2026.

"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, interlaced with sweeping imagery of the Golden Gate Bridge, the Coit Tower and other landmarks, as well as photos that captured her storied political career.

NBC News reported this week that Democrats in California and on Capitol Hill were preparing for her retirement announcement.

The powerful California Democrat led her party in the House for two decades — from 2002 to 2022 — serving as a crucial ally for Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, and orchestrating the opposition to Republican Presidents George W. Bush and Donald Trump.

Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi outside the U.S. Capitol on May 12, 2022.Chip Somodevilla / Getty Images fileWhile she had stepped aside as party leader three years ago, she had continued to serve in the House as a rank-and-file member and her Democratic colleagues granted Pelosi the title of "speaker emerita."