Nov. 17 (UPI) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday she will not seek re-election to lead House Democrats when they lose power in January, ending an era where she became the first female House Speaker in history.
The announcement sets off a generational scramble of who will lead the Democrats in the House, where the second in line. Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., has told colleagues he will not seek a leadership position as well, leaving the party’s No. 1 and No. 2 positions open.
The Democratic Party No. 3, Rep. James Clyburn is 82 and has not announced his intentions. It could leave the door open for Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., to become the first person of color to lead the major party in the House.
“I will not seek reelection to Democratic leadership in the next Congress,” Pelosi said. “The hour has come for a new generation to lead the Democratic caucus that I so deeply respect.”
Pelosi, 82, who has been a lightning rod for Republicans in political campaigns against the Democratic challengers, will keep her House seat, representing San Francisco.
The announcement comes weeks after her husband Paul Pelosi was brutally attacked in their family home in California that was believed to be politically motivated.
“History will note she is the most consequential Speaker of the House of Representatives in our history,” President Joe Biden said in a statement. “There are countless examples of how she embodies the obligation of elected officials to uphold their oath to God and country to ensure our democracy delivers and remains a beacon to the world.
“In everything she does, she reflects a dignity in her actions and a dignity she sees in the lives of the people of this nation.”
Pelosi, the daughter of a Maryland politician, has served in the House since 1987 and made history as the first female Speaker of the House in 2007. She earned respect as one of the party’s leading fundraisers and solidifying unity inside her party on divisive issues.
