Former Speaker of the US House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi said that she will not run for re-election to the US Congress. Thus, the first woman to head the lower house of the US Parliament and perhaps the most influential American politician ends her career, the Associated Press reported.
In a video message to her voters, Nancy Pelosi, who represented San Francisco for 40 years, announced that she would no longer run for representative in Congress. She called on her voters to continue her work in setting the agenda of the US and around the world.
"My message to the city I love is this - San Francisco, know your strength. We made history. "We have made progress. We have always been in the lead, and now we must continue in that spirit by continuing to actively participate in our democracy and by fighting for the American ideals that we hold dear," she said.
While her decision was not entirely unexpected, it has sparked a backlash in Washington and California as a seasoned generation of political leaders steps down just before next year's midterm elections, the AP notes. Some are stepping down reluctantly, others more decisively, but many are facing challenges from new faces in politics who are expected to take over the leadership of the Democratic Party and take on President Donald Trump.
Pelosi remains a figure of enormous political influence, having played a key role in redefining California's electoral districts and in her party's success in the elections this month. She is actively involved in public events and fundraising initiatives for her party, and her announced departure has sparked a battle over who will succeed her in California and left open questions about who will be the next influential figure behind the scenes at the Capitol, the AP points out.