On Thursday, Nov. 6, Speaker Emerita of the House Nancy Pelosi announced her retirement from Congress for the next term. As the first female speaker, Pelosi affected women nationwide when she took on this groundbreaking role. In a six-minute video, Pelosi showed her gratitude towards San Francisco, where she raised her family and was first elected to Congress.
After reflecting on her origins in San Francisco and her career, Pelosi announced, “With a grateful heart, I look forward to my final year of service as your representative.” Before her video message concluded, however, she left an inspiring message to the city.
Pelosi was elected to the House of Representatives from San Francisco in 1987 after starting her career in politics by volunteering. She was later elected Speaker of the House, serving from 2007 until 2011, which solidified her status as not only the first female Speaker of the House but also the highest-ranking woman in the U.S. presidential line of succession. In her second term, which lasted from 2019 to 2023, she led the House in impeaching President Donald Trump twice and helped pass many bills during the administration of former President Joe Biden, including the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act and the CHIPS and Science Act.
“San Francisco, know your power. We have made history. We have made progress. 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 doing so, we ensure that our city shines on as a beacon of hope, justice, and peace for the country and for generations to come.”
Nancy Pelosi
Pelosi was well-known during her reign as House speaker, one of the most influential and politically powerful women in history, but she served longer as the leader of the House Democrats. After serving as minority whip and minority leader in the early 2000s, Pelosi was elected Speaker of the House after Democrats won the House majority in the 2006 midterm elections. She led the House to this majority, being the first one to do so in 12 years. During periods when Republicans gained a House majority, Pelosi stepped down but remained an influential member of Congress, as in the 2022 midterm elections.
Before this, Pelosi still wielded significant influence in politics. In 1987, she was elected to the House of Representatives from California’s 5th congressional district in a special election. This district consisted of a majority of San Francisco, which is where she stayed for most of her political career. The campaign came after the sudden and tragic death of late House Representative Phillip Burton, followed by the death of his successor and wife, Sala Burton, who passed away from colon cancer, which made the election that much more important.
On her deathbed, it was said that Sala Burton picked Pelosi as her successor. As Pelosi ran for election, she kept Sala Burton close to her heart and said, “When I get to Congress, I’m going to tell them that Sala Burton sent me.”
“For decades, I have cherished the privilege of representing our magnificent city in the United States congress.”
Nancy Pelosi on representing San Francisco
Pelosi’s original slogan for her election, “A Voice That Will Be Heard,” was one carefully created to connect with all the people living in San Francisco. Attaining the seat was no small feat, as she ran against Harry Britt in the primaries, who intended to be the first gay man in Congress. There was backlash on both sides about who would win each part of the city. As Britt had the backing of the LGBT community, Pelosi needed to break through the restrictions sexist men put on her, but also touch the hearts of each person in the city, no matter what they identified as. This slogan helped Pelosi win her seat, with 36% of the vote for her and 32% for Britt.
“It seems prophetic now that the slogan of my very first campaign in 1987 was ‘A Voice That Will Be Heard,’ and it was you who made those words come true,” Pelosi said in her video message to San Francisco. “It was the faith you had placed in me 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 whose voice would certainly be heard.”
Pelosi’s political run was a beacon for many women nationwide, showing that women can be just as powerful as men. Throughout her forty years in Congress, Pelosi led the Democratic Party to success and has had a lasting effect nationwide.