Nancy Pelosi, the trailblazing former Speaker of the House, revealed on Thursday her decision not to seek re-election in 2026. This announcement puts an end to the ongoing speculation about when the influential political figure would choose to step away from the political arena.

Republicans have openly expressed their satisfaction at the news, as Pelosi has been a formidable opponent to them for many years.

At 85, Pelosi has been a prominent presence on Capitol Hill since 1987, and she holds the distinction of being the first and only woman to serve as Speaker of the House. She is also the second-highest-ranking woman in U.S. political history, following former Vice President Kamala Harris.

In a heartfelt message shared on social media, Pelosi expressed her gratitude as she looked forward to her final year in Congress. “With a grateful heart, I look forward to my final year of service as your proud representative,” she stated. “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.”

Piloting the House as its first female speaker from 2007 to 2011, Pelosi played a pivotal role during much of President Barack Obama’s initial term. She reclaimed the gavel in 2019, during President Donald Trump’s tenure, and continued to lead until 2023.

She was awarded the gavel again in 2019, under President Donald Trump’s first term, a post she held until 2023.

She will go down as one of the longest tenured leaders in the US House of Representatives after leading the House Democrats for 20 years. She is by far the most powerful female in congressional history, and arguably in US politics history.

‘She’s a savage who understands how to earn and use power,’ acknowledged Mike Davis, an attorney and rabid Trump ally. ‘Republicans should take notes.’  

Former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has announced she won’t seek reelection 

Former Speaker of the House, Rep. Nancy Pelosi is assisted by aides as she arrives for the first day of the 119th Congress in the House Chamber of the U.S. Capitol Building on January 03, 2025 in Washington, DC

Pelosi is the second highest elected female official in US history behind Kamala Harris

Republicans are ruminating on the announcement that their longtime nemesis has finally decided to give up power.

‘The retirement of Nancy Pelosi is a great thing for America,’ Trump told Fox News. ‘She was Evil, Corrupt, and only focused on bad things for our country. She was rapidly losing control of her party, and it was never coming back.’

The president and Pelosi feuded extensively over the years. Trump has called Pelosi an assortment of degrading nicknames and alleged she’s corrupt. 

Pelosi led two impeachment attempts against the 79-year-old president.

She also famously tore his State of the Union speech in half in front of millions of Americans watching at home in a defiant act of opposition during Trump’s first term. 

Their relationship hit new lows after the January 6 riots, during which Pelosi was in the Capitol before being evacuated to a nearby military base. 

During the riot, the pro-Trump protestors broke into the Democrat’s office and rummaged through her belongings, videos of the incident show.

Speaker Mike Johnson suggested Pelosi’s decision to call it quits was illustrative of how far left the Democratic Party had shifted. 

Pelosi and her daughter Christine Pelosi hold ‘We Love Joe’ signs as he speaks on the first day of the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in 2024 

Nancy Pelosi with her husband Paul Pelosi in December 2024 

Pelosi rips up pages of the State of the Union speech after Trump finishes his speech on February 4, 2020

‘The old guard has been repudiated, and the radicals are taking over the Democratic Party,’ he said Wednesday morning at a press conference. 

‘Even the famous San Francisco liberal is not far enough for the neo-Marxists,’ Johnson said, adding, ‘and we commend her for her service.’

The former speaker also played a central role in the Democratic Party’s soul-searching amid President Joe Biden’s shaky presidential campaign. 

She reportedly insisted that Biden step aside, and during TV hits, she publicly urged the aging president to reconsider. 

Jill Biden, who has had a 50-year friendship with Pelosi, later called the ex-speaker’s conduct before the election ‘disappointing.’ 

President Joe Biden presents the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Pelosi in May 2024

In 2022, tragedy struck when Pelosi’s husband, Paul, a venture capitalist, was attacked at the couple’s San Francisco home and beaten in the head with a hammer. 

The assailant was later arrested and charged, but the incident’s violence underscores the rise in political violence over the course of the congresswoman’s 38-year career. 

The daughter of Thomas D’Alesandro Jr., a former congressman from Baltimore, Pelosi was a part of a political dynasty of sorts. 

Though her path to the peak of congressional power is a story uniquely her own. 

‘I often said Nancy Pelosi was the best Speaker of the House in American history — it’s why I awarded her the Presidential Medal of Freedom,’ Biden said in a statement. 

‘She has devoted much of her life to this country, and America will always be grateful. Jill and I wish Nancy and Paul all the best.’