Nancy Pelosi, first woman to serve as US House speaker, to retire from Congress


U.S. Representative Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) speaks at a press conference, accompanied by members of the Texas Democratic legislators and California Governor Gavin Newsom, at the governor’s mansion in Sacramento, California, U.S., August 8, 2025. REUTERS/Carlos Barria

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Nancy Pelosi, the first woman to serve as the powerful speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, said on Thursday that she will not run for reelection to Congress in 2026, ending the four-decade career of a progressive Democratic icon often vilified by the right.

The 85-year-old congresswoman, first elected in 1987, made her announcement two days after voters in California overwhelmingly approved "Proposition 50," a state redistricting effort aimed at flipping five House seats to Democrats in next year's midterm elections.

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