"I will not run for re-election to Congress," the California Democrat says in a video clip. Her current term runs until January 2027.
This marks the end of a long and influential political career. Pelosi, 85, was the first woman to hold the position of Speaker of the House of Representatives.
Her political influence within the Democrats has been extensive for decades. As the party's most powerful woman, she has influenced both Democratic policy and social change in the United States.
"We have made history, we have made progress," she said in the video.
Rev Trump's speech
Pelosi, who led the Democratic Party in the House of Representatives from 2003 to 2023, is considered to have been a driving force behind several of the reforms implemented by Democratic presidents. Her role in President Barack Obama's healthcare reform was significant, as were climate and infrastructure initiatives implemented during President Joe Biden's term.
During the periods when she was Speaker of the House of Representatives, she was also third in the line of succession after the President and Vice President.
Nancy Pelosi has consistently been an outspoken critic of Republican President Donald Trump, and marked her disapproval by tearing up a copy of Trump's speech when he delivered his annual State of the Union address.
Pelosi, in turn, has been subjected to harsh and hate-filled campaigns against her person, which took a dangerous turn during the violent storming of the Capitol in January 2021. She was seen as a target by the far-right vandals who broke into Congress – and her office was completely destroyed.
Greetings to San Francisco
Her husband, Paul Pelosi, was attacked with a hammer and seriously injured in October 2022 in an attack at the couple's home.
As Speaker of the House of Representatives, she has led two impeachment proceedings against Trump in connection with his first term.
Nancy Pelosi, who was first elected to Congress in 1987, represents the state of California's 12th district – which essentially corresponds to the city of San Francisco.
In her filmed speech, she sent a greeting to her hometown:
As we move forward, my message to the city I love is this: San Francisco – you know your strength.
