Nancy Pelosi will not seek re-election, ending decades-long House career

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., will not be seeking re-election after completing her current term, she announced in a video Thursday morning.

"There has been no greater honor for me than to stand on the House floor and say, ‘I speak for the people of San Francisco.’ I have truly loved serving as your voice in Congress, and I've always honored the soul of Saint Francisco — ‘Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace.' The anthem of our city," Pelosi said in a voiceover.

"That is why I want you, my fellow San Franciscans to be the first to know 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 as we go forward."

Pelosi has been a power player in U.S. politics for decades, having served as House speaker from 2007 to 2011 and then again from 2019 to 2023.

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House Speaker Emerita Rep. Nancy Pelosi speaks during a news conference in front of the U.S. Capitol in Washington. (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Her most recent stint in power also saw Pelosi serve as a chief antagonist to President Donald Trump during his first term. 

Her constant clashes with the president, including tearing up his State of the Union speech while sitting behind him as he delivered it in 2020, earned her the nickname "Crazy Nancy" by the Republican commander-in-chief.

Trump cheered Pelosi's announcement in comments to Fox News, "The retirement of Nancy Pelosi is a great thing for America."

He called her "evil," "corrupt," and "only focused on bad things for our country."

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"She was rapidly losing control of her party and it was never coming back. I’m very honored she impeached me twice and failed miserably twice," Trump said.

Pelosi first came to Congress in 1987 after winning a special election to replace the late Rep. Sala Burton, D-Calif.

Rumors of her potential retirement had swirled for days ahead of the explosive news on Thursday, but Pelosi's spokesperson said she would discuss her political future after California voted on a referendum allowing state Democrats to redraw the state's congressional map.

"Speaker Pelosi is fully focused on her mission to win the Yes on 50 election in CA. Any discussion of her future plans beyond that mission is pure speculation. As she has said, Speaker Pelosi will not make any announcements about her future until after Prop 50 is settled," spokesperson Ian Krager said Monday.

That measure, Proposition 50, passed overwhelmingly on Tuesday night.

The majority of Pelosi's five-minute video announcement focused on her career achievements during her decades in Congress.

She did not mention Trump or other adversaries, instead discussing reforms focused on San Francisco and some Democratic priorities like climate change.

The 85-year-old lawmaker is the second House Democrat to announce they would not seek re-election next year in as many days.

Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, one of the most vulnerable Democrats of the 2026 election cycle, announced Wednesday that he would not run for another term.

Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine, attends a news conference in the Capitol Visitor Center in Washington, July 17, 2025. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

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Golden blamed increased extremism by both Democrats and the GOP, as well as heightened political threats against his family and elected officials in general.

While Golden's seat is a prime pickup opportunity for Republicans, Pelosi's seat is all but assured to stay within Democrats' hands.

And she has already garnered two high-profile primary challengers before announcing her plans.

The most recent hopeful is state Sen. Scott Wiener, who announced his campaign late last month. 

Saikat Chakrabarti, a software engineer and left-wing activist who served as chief of staff to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., is also in the race.