Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi will retire next year

from Maya S. MillerCalMatters

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Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi, the groundbreaking lawmaker who made history as the first woman to lead the U.S. House of Representatives and a formidable force in Democratic politics, announced Thursday that she will retire at the end of 2026 and will not seek a 21st term in Congress.

Pelosi, 85, who has represented San Francisco in the House since 1987, announced her decision Thursday in nearly a six-minute cinematic love letter to the city and its constituents.

“I have always revered the song of St. Francis — ‘Lord, make me an instrument of your peace’ — as our city’s anthem,” Pelosi, who is a devout Catholic, says toward the end of the mini-film. “That’s why I want you, my fellow San Franciscans, to be the first to know: I will not be seeking re-election to Congress.”

Interspersed with the montage of scenes from San Francisco were nods to Pelosi’s landmark legislative accomplishments, including passage of the Affordable Care Act under President Barack Obama and passage of former President Joe Biden’s infrastructure and climate agenda.

Pelosi is known for her political clout, dogged leadership and laser-focused vision that have made her a highly effective and formidable speaker. She has frequently wrested arms within her own party, quashing a 2018 uprising by the progressive wing of the Democratic faction known as the Squad and even reversing the pressure campaign that saw Biden withdraw from the 2024 presidential race.

She also earned a reputation for her not-so-subtle jab at President Donald Trump, which went viral for tearing up his State of the Union speech and mockingly giving him the now-iconic “Nancy clap” of disapproval. Her antagonism to the president also made her a target for political violence. When the January 6th rebels stormed the Capitol in 2021, many were specifically looking for her. Pelosi’s husband of more than 60 years, Paul Pelosi, was brutally beaten by a hammer-wielding intruder who broke into the couple’s San Francisco residence looking for her.

Her video features clever shout-outs to a wide range of industries and interests that have supported — and intertwined with — her over the years: labor unions, tech companies, transit and housing advocates, environmentalists and entrepreneurs. She also chronicles the city’s struggles, focusing on the recovery from the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake and the AIDS crisis.

“We don’t fear the future here, we forge it,” Pelosi says. From the gold rush to the wonders of science and technology, our city has always been a cradle of innovation, bubbling with optimism and creativity.”

Pelosi is a longtime force in the city and in the Democratic Party, serving as the California party chair from 1981 to 1983. She raised five children and was an active volunteer in local politics for years, but didn’t seriously consider running for office until her 40s. She has often spoken of her Catholic upbringing in Baltimore, where her father was mayor for 12 years. Her brother later followed in his footsteps.

Her statement comes amid an outcry from Democrats to let the younger generation take the helm. State Sen. Scott Wiener, who called Pelosi a mentor, made the announcement last month he will seek her place next year.

Wiener joins a race that also includes progressive challenger Saikat Chakrabarti, former chief of staff for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio Cortez of New York.

Her idyllic video notably avoided any mention of President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly threatened to send troops and immigration agents to San Francisco.

“San Francisco, know your power,” Pelosi says. “We’ve made history, we’ve made progress, we’ve always been on top and now we have to keep doing it.”

This article was originally published on CalMatters and is republished under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-No Derivatives license.