Nancy Pelosi announces she won’t run for Congress again in 2026

WASHINGTON, DC: Nancy Pelosi, the first and only woman ever to serve as Speaker of the House of Representatives, announced on Thursday, November 6, that she will not seek re-election in 2026, ending four decades of congressional career that shaped American politics for generations.

“I have truly loved serving as your voice in Congress, and I have always honored the song of St Francis, 'Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace', the anthem of our city,” Pelosi, 85, said in a sweeping video tribute with imagery of the Golden Gate Bridge, the Coit Tower and other landmarks of San Francisco, which she has represented since 1987.

Nancy Pelosi's farewell message is a love letter to San Francisco 

“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,” Pelosi confirmed.

"With a grateful heart, I look forward to my final year of service as your proud representative. As we go forward, my message to the city I love is this: San Francisco, know your power," she added. 

"We have made history. We have made progress. We have always led the way, and now we must continue to do so by remaining full participants in our democracy and fighting for the American ideals we hold dear," she continued.

Reflecting on her long tenure, Pelosi added, “I say to my colleagues in the House all of the time, no matter what title they had bestowed upon me, speaker, leader, whip, 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.’”

End of an era in US politics 

Pelosi’s announcement follows the passage of California’s 'Proposition 50', a new congressional map drawn by state Democrats.

It also confirms what many on Capitol Hill had expected: That the former Speaker, who stepped down from leadership in 2022, would close her congressional career after this term.

Her departure will mark the end of one of the most consequential political careers in modern American history.

Pelosi led House Democrats for 20 years, from 2002 to 2022, serving as a crucial ally to Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden, and as a fierce opponent of Republican Presidents George W Bush and Donald Trump.

Nancy Pelosi's legacy of firsts and fierce battles

Born in Baltimore in 1940 to a family steeped in politics, Pelosi entered Congress in a 1987 special election and quickly rose through the Democratic ranks.

Pelosi made history in 2007 when she became the first woman to hold the Speaker’s gavel after Democrats regained control of the House. 

She reportedly helped shepherd the Affordable Care Act through Congress, expanded children’s health insurance, and later played a central role in passing Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act.

From clashing publicly with Trump in the Oval Office to ripping up his State of the Union address on national television, her political instincts made her the face of Democratic resistance. 

“She was a very strong leader and did a damn good job leading Democrats,” Rep Debbie Dingell of Michigan said this week.

Nancy Pelosi passes the torch

Pelosi’s decision will set off a fierce contest for her deep-blue San Francisco seat, which has not seen a competitive race in nearly 40 years.

State Sen Scott Wiener and former tech executive Saikat Chakrabarti, co-founder of Justice Democrats, have already announced campaigns to succeed her, with more contenders expected to join soon.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, who succeeded her as Democratic leader, hailed her as "an iconic, legendary, transformational figure who has done so many things over so many years to make life better for so many people."