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Nancy Pelosi to Retire in 2026, Ending Nearly 40 Years in Congress

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Business Honor - Nancy Pelosi to Retire in 2026

Business Honor
07 November, 2025

Nancy Pelosi has declared that she will not seek re-election to Congress after almost 40 years.

Nancy Pelosi, the first woman to serve as speaker of the US House of Representatives and one of the most powerful Democratic political leaders in the country for many years, has announced that she will not seek reelection. “I have truly loved serving as your voice in Congress, and I have always honored the song of St. Francis, ‘Lord make an instrument of thy peace,’ the anthem of our city. That is why I want you, my fellow San Franciscans, to be the first to know. I will not be seeking reelection to Congress,” Pelosi, 85, announced in a sweeping video on Thursday that served as a love letter to the smart city she has represented in Washington for nearly 40 years.

“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. 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.”

Reflecting on her many roles on Capitol Hill, Pelosi said Thursday: “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.’”

Pelosi's announcement put an end to speculation in recent days that the longtime Democrat would soon indicate her plan to end her congressional career after 38 years. Given her rank and file member status, it was commonly believed she would not return to a future Congress after the term.