BREAKING: Nancy Pelosi Officially Bows Out

Nancy Pelosi, the longtime face of San Francisco liberal politics and the first woman ever to wield the Speaker’s gavel, is finally hanging it up after nearly four decades in Congress.

“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, said Thursday in a glossy video that played like a farewell love letter to her hometown.

“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.”

WATCH:

Thank you, San Francisco. pic.twitter.com/OP8ubeFzR6

— Nancy Pelosi (@TeamPelosi) November 6, 2025

The announcement ends weeks of Capitol Hill chatter that Pelosi—one of the most powerful and polarizing figures in modern Democratic politics—was ready to call it quits. Her decision caps a 38-year career that saw her dominate Washington’s Democratic machine, from toppling the old boys’ club to orchestrating massive party fundraising operations that helped keep Democrats competitive nationwide.

Pelosi reflected on her tenure with a touch of nostalgia: “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.’”

Elected in 1987, Pelosi shattered barriers in 2007 when she became the first—and still only—woman to serve as Speaker of the House, later reclaiming the gavel after the Democrats’ 2018 blue wave. Her career was marked by sharp partisanship, fierce loyalty to her caucus, and an iron grip on the chamber that few dared to challenge.

Her exit comes just days after a major political victory: California voters approved a congressional redistricting measure expected to tilt the state’s map in Democrats’ favor ahead of the 2026 midterms. Pelosi, sources say, helped bankroll the push, personally raising tens of millions to secure the win—a final power play from a politician whose influence defined a generation of Democratic politics.

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