Nov 6, 2025 - Politics & Policy

Nancy Pelosi's historic career, in photos

Avery Lotz

Nancy Pelosi smiles as children gather around the rostrum to touch the gavel after her swearing-in as the first female House speaker in 2007. — Speaker Nancy Pelosi invites children to join her at the rostrum after being sworn in as the first woman to lead the House on Jan. 4, 2007. Photo: Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), the first woman Speaker of the House, will retire from Congress in 2027, marking an end to some four decades of boundary-breaking service.

The big picture: The 85-year-old political giant's presence looms large over the Democratic Party, even after she stepped away from congressional leadership in 2022.

Just as her departure from the House Democrats' top ranks opened the door for a new generation of Democratic leadership, Pelosi's retirement is sure to set off a succession race in San Francisco.

Driving the news: Pelosi thanked San Franciscans for the faith they'd placed in her "and the latitude that you have given me that enabled me to shatter the marble ceiling and be the first woman speaker of the House" in a video announcing her decision.

Flashback: Before her nearly 40 years on Capitol Hill, Pelosi served as the chair of the California Democratic Party before her election to Congress in 1987.

During her tenure, she held multiple leadership roles, including minority leader and minority whip, before taking on the speaker's gavel in 2007.
She helped secure the passage of several major bills, including the Affordable Care Act, and oversaw two House votes to impeach President Trump.
Her career has also been shadowed by political violence. In 2022, Pelosi's husband, Paul, was attacked by a man who was looking for her.

Scroll for a look at Pelosi's career, in photos: