Speaker Pelosi won’t seek leadership role in next Congress, plans to keep her House seat

By LISA MASCARO, AP Congressional Correspondent

WASHINGTON (AP) — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that she will not seek a leadership position in the new Congress, a pivotal realignment making way for a new generation of leaders after Democrats lost control of the House to Republicans in the midterm elections.

Keep scrolling for photo galleries from Pelosi’s speech and career

Pelosi announced in a spirited speech on the House floor that she will step aside after leading Democrats for nearly 20 years and in the aftermath of the brutal attack on her husband, Paul, last month in their San Francisco home.

The California Democrat, who rose to become the nation’s first woman to wield the speaker’s gavel, said she would remain in Congress as the representative from San Francisco, a position she has held for 35 years, when the new Congress convenes in January.

“Now we must move boldly into the future,” Pelosi said.

Hot Off The Wire: The latest episode

“I will not seek reelection to Democratic leadership in the next Congress,” Pelosi said. “For me, the hour has come for a new generation to lead the Democratic caucus that I so deeply respect.”

She received a standing ovation after her remarks, and members one by one went up to offer her hugs and well wishes. Full story:

<p>House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., walks on Capitol Hill in Washington Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022. </p>

AP Photo/Andrew Harnik

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of Calif., walks on Capitol Hill in Washington Thursday, Nov. 17, 2022. 

Categories: Regression – Syndication