Is Nancy Pelosi planning to retire? What Democratic insiders are saying
Senior Democrats say long-time U.S. Representative Nancy Pelosi might announce retirement ahead of next year's congressional elections.
Senior Democrats are preparing for the possibility that Nancy Pelosi, the long-time U.S. Representative from San Francisco and former House Speaker, will formally announce her retirement ahead of next year’s congressional elections.
The 85-year-old veteran lawmaker has yet to confirm whether she will seek re-election in 2026. However, multiple Democratic sources told NBC the decision is likely.
“Mrs Pelosi will choose not to seek re-election”
According to an internal NBC News report, “multiple Democratic sources in California and Congress believe Mrs Pelosi will choose not to seek re-election in 2026.”
A House Democrat from California told NBC, “I wish she would stay for 10 more years. … But I think she’s out. She’s going to go out with Prop 50 overwhelmingly passing.”
On the Fox News side, commentary has focused on the broader pattern of long-tenured lawmakers weighing exits. A recent Fox News digital piece noted that discussions around Pelosi’s future are part of a wider “Congress grows older” debate.
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The party is focused on securing Proposition 50
Pelosi has not publicly confirmed any plans to retire. When asked, her office stated she was “fully focused” on the Prop 50 campaign and would not announce her future until after the vote.
Her long-time spokesperson, Ian Krager, emphasized, “Speaker Pelosi is fully focused on her mission to win the Yes on 50 special election in California. She urges all Californians to join in that mission on the path to taking back the House for the Democrats.”
Proposition 50 is a ballot initiative in California to redraw congressional lines. This is a measure Pelosi has advocated. Some Democrats believe she may announce her retirement only after the vote, allowing the measure to pass with her support before stepping away.
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Why is Pelosi important to the Democrats?
The San Francisco Chronicle lists Pelosi’s decision as one with high stakes for the Democratic Party. She has represented her district since 1987, raised hundreds of millions of dollars for House campaigns, and steered the party through multiple historic legislative battles. If she steps aside, the race for her seat in California’s 11th District could become a major generational showdown.
Her contenders for the 2026 midterms, Scott Wiener and Saikat Chakrabarti, say they will run regardless of Pelosi's decision. The San Francisco Chronicle says, “It would be a far different race should the nation’s first female speaker of the House — someone who has raised more than $1 billion for Democrats over the last quarter-century stay in the race.”
