Pelosi, Nancy

Nancy Pelosi has represented San Francisco in Congress since 1987, currently serving California's 11th Congressional District. Born in Baltimore, Maryland, in 1940, she comes from a strong political family—her father served in Congress and as mayor of Baltimore. She earned a bachelor's degree from Trinity College in Washington, D.C., in 1962. Before entering Congress, she served as chair of the California State Democratic Party and finance chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

Pelosi served as the 52nd Speaker of the House from 2007 to 2011 and again from 2019 to 2023, making history as the first woman elected to that position and the first woman to lead a major political party in either chamber of Congress. She also served as House Democratic Whip and Minority Leader. As Speaker Emerita, she currently holds no committee assignments but remains active in the House.

During her tenure, Pelosi was the chief architect of landmark legislation including the Affordable Care Act, which extended health coverage to millions of Americans and prohibited insurers from denying coverage for preexisting conditions. She also led passage of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act during the financial crisis, the Dodd-Frank Wall Street reforms, the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, and more recently the American Rescue Plan, Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and Inflation Reduction Act. She was instrumental in establishing the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the Capitol.

In November 2025, Pelosi announced she would not seek reelection in 2026, concluding a 40-year career in the House. She is widely regarded as one of the most effective and consequential speakers in congressional history.