Nancy Pelosi, Democratic Party leader whose career spanned nearly four decades in the U.S. Congress, announced her retirement from political office on Thursday. 

The 85-year-old representative from California served as the 52nd speaker of the United States House of Representatives from 2007 to 2011, and again from 2019 to 2023. Pelosi, the daughter of Rep. Thomas D'Alesandro Jr., was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland before eventually settling in San Francisco, California, where she entered politics in the 1960s as a volunteer for the Democratic Party. 

Pelosi was first elected to Congress for California's Fifth congressional district special election in 1987 following the death of the Democratic Rep. Phillip Burton. She quickly rose through the ranks of the Democratic power structure before becoming the first woman to serve as speaker of the House in 2007.

“We have made history, we have made progress,” Pelosi said in her retirement announcement. “We have always led the way, and now we must continue to do so by remaining full participants in our democracy, and fighting for the American ideals we hold dear.”

In a post shared to X following the announcement, President Barack Obama thanks Pelosi for her leadership and friendship. “No one was more skilled at bringing people together and getting legislation passed,” wrote Obama. “ I will always be grateful for her support of the Affordable Care Act.”