Rep. Nancy Pelosi, who has represented California in Congress for almost 40 years, has officially announced her retirement. Last week, rumors swirled that Pelosi would not seek reelection in 2026, but her team denied at the time that any decision had been made.
As Townhall reported at the time, Pelosi's focus was on passing Prop 50, California's redistricting scheme that would disenfranchise the state's Republican voters and representatives.
"Speaker Pelosi is fully focused on her mission to win the Yes on 50 special election in California on Tuesday," spokesperson Ian Krager said. "She urges all Californians to join in that mission on the path to taking back the House for the Democrats."
Thank you, San Francisco. pic.twitter.com/OP8ubeFzR6
— Nancy Pelosi (@TeamPelosi) November 6, 2025
In the nearly six-minute video posted to her personal X account, Pelosi recapped her achievements as a Congresswoman and Speaker of the House.
"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.' 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," Pelosi said.
"I will not be seeking reelection to Congress," Pelosi added, saying she wanted the people of San Francisco to know this first.
Pelosi continued, "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."
"Thank you, San Francisco, for trusting me to be your voice in Congress. May God bless you and may God bless the United States of America," Pelosi said.
This will leave Pelosi's seat open, and speculation of who may succeed Pelosi will undoubtedly be the talk of the Democratic Party heading into the 2026 midterms.