Nancy Pelosi, the first and only woman ever to serve as Speaker of the US House of Representatives, announced Thursday that she will not seek re-election in 2026, marking the close of an extraordinary congressional career that has spanned nearly four decades.
“With a grateful heart, I look forward to my final year of service,” Pelosi said in her statement. “I will not be seeking re-election to Congress.”
The 85-year-old California Democrat has been a towering figure in American politics since her first election in 1987, guiding her party through some of the most turbulent and transformative years in recent history.
The Timing Behind Pelosi’s Decision
Pelosi’s announcement comes just days after the passage of California’s Proposition 50, a redistricting measure she strongly supported and which was backed by the Democratic establishment.
According to NBC News, senior Democrats had long expected Pelosi’s decision, with one insider noting, “I think she’s out. She’s going to go out with Prop 50 overwhelmingly passing.”
The timing underscores Pelosi’s characteristic sense of strategy: stepping down on her own terms, following a legislative victory that aligns with her long-standing political goals.
A Legacy That Redefined Congressional Leadership
Throughout her career, Pelosi has been both admired and criticized for her formidable command of legislative politics. She first held the Speaker’s gavel from 2007 to 2011 and again from 2019 to 2023, steering major bills like the Affordable Care Act and the Dodd-Frank financial reforms through a deeply divided Congress.
Her leadership extended beyond policy; it reshaped the Democratic Party’s identity and strategy. As House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries once described her, Pelosi was the “greatest Speaker of all time.”
Her tenure also included moments of intense political drama, most notably, her leading role in the impeachment proceedings against then-President Donald Trump. After the first House impeachment vote, Pelosi famously declared, “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.”
Trump’s Blistering Reaction
US President Donald Trump quickly seized on Pelosi’s announcement, calling her departure a “great thing for America.” Speaking to Fox News on Thursday, Trump said, “The retirement of Nancy Pelosi is a great thing for America. She was evil, corrupt, and only focused on bad things for our country.”
Later, addressing reporters in the Oval Office, Trump added, “I think she was an evil woman who did a poor job, who cost the country a lot in damages and in reputation. I thought she was terrible. I think she did the country a great service by retiring. I think she was a tremendous liability for the country.”