“In light of San Francisco’s values that we have always been proud to promote, I have now decided to run for re-election,” Pelosi said.
Pelosi’s career is historic: She became the first woman to serve as Speaker of the House when she took office in 2007. Nearly a decade later, he returned to the speakership in 2019 after helping secure a large Democratic majority.
In November, Pelosi announced she would not seek re-election as the top leader of the House Democratic caucus, saying in a speech on the House floor that “it is time for a new generation to lead the Democratic Party that I respect so deeply.”
Pelosi, A man who has never even served in any legislative committee makes history again by continuing to serve in office without any formal authority.
Since Sam Rayburn, who became Speaker before World War II, no Democratic Speaker has returned to life in the rank and file and continued to serve more than a year after his term ended. In contrast, Pelosi’s predecessors retired from Congress at the same time, giving up or retiring altogether within months of leaving the speakership.
Her decision to step down as a House Democrat came just weeks after Pelosi’s husband was attacked by a hammer-wielding man who broke into the couple’s San Francisco home. Paul Pelosi suffered a fractured skull and severe injuries to his right arm and hands, and the attack weighed heavily on Nancy Pelosi as she decided her political future. she Then said The incident prompted her to stay on as Democratic Party leader.
Pelosi, who celebrated her 60th wedding anniversary on Thursday, announced her re-election campaign as she emerged as a staunch defender of older politicians who continue to serve well into their 80s.
90-year-old Sen. Critics of Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) have accused her of sexism for calling for her resignation as her mental and physical health deteriorated over the past few years. In recent months, Feinstein has been driven around the Capitol by one of Pelosi’s daughters after a long hospitalization following shingles. The two families lived on the same San Francisco street years ago.
Pelosi also strongly supported President Biden, 80, as he prepares his re-election bid for next year amid growing questions about his age..
In recent weeks, Republicans have faced similar questions after Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) suffered a pair of public moments this summer in which he froze while speaking to reporters. McConnell, who suffered broken ribs and a severe concussion after a fall in March, tried to play down concerns about his health.
When she left the leadership post late last year, Pelosi repeatedly said she didn’t want to look like the “mother-in-law in the kitchen” to today’s new Democratic leaders. He did not take on legislative committee work and assumed a role as a political ambassador for Democrats, still helping to raise money for candidates and liberal causes, but without an official portfolio.
But Pelosi has said in multiple interviews that she’s worried about her hometown influence, with Feinstein retiring next year and longtime Sen. Barbara Boxer, from across the bay in Marin County, who retired six years ago.
During her event in San Francisco on Friday, Pelosi said that “because of the kindness and generosity of our constituents here,” she was able to “play a leading role nationally and globally.”
“I know Congress very well, I know the country very well,” he said. “Most importantly, I know this city very well. That’s why, in light of everything at stake, people call me and say, ‘Can you stay longer?’
Pelosi acknowledged in December that she would transition from a role that comes with “tremendous power” to a more “powerful” one with subtle influence, especially for women who want to run for office. She recalled that when she came to Congress in 1987, there were only 23 women out of 435 legislators.
“I want women to feel confident,” Pelosi said. “So sometimes when I act a little bit more, we’ll say, like me, because I want them to know that it’s okay to assert yourself, to believe in what you bring to the table, and to understand your uniqueness.”
Pelosi’s victory in 2024 appears assured. Since narrowly winning the nomination for her seat in a 1987 special election, Pelosi has won re-election every two years in one of the nation’s most liberal districts.
Under California’s all-in, jungle primary system established in 2012, Pelosi has faced a number of challengers to her left in recent primaries, but none has yet topped 15 percent of the vote. If she wins next year, Pelosi will be 86 when her term ends in early January 2027.
Mariana Sotomayor contributed to this report.
