U.S. Representative Nancy Pelosi to retire in Jan 2027 after 40 years in Congress representing San Francisco

Editor's Note:

U.S. Representative Nancy Pelosi is presently in her 20th term and has represented San Francisco since 1987 in Congress where she made history as the first woman elected U.S. House speaker serving from 2007 to 2011 and again from 2019 to 2023 and the first woman to lead a major political party.

On November 6, 2025, Speaker Emerita Pelosi, 85, announced via a 6-minute video on social media her retirement from Congress when she finishes her current term in early January 2027. She thanks San Franciscans for the 40-year support to her.

During her legacy and tenure before and after her first win to the Congress in 1987, she has been well connected with the Chinese community in San Francisco.

In her routine schedules for several decades, she has sat down with AAPI non-profit organizations to listen to their concerns and met with community leaders in events in support of the AAPI communities.

Speaker Emerita Pelosi was born and raised in Baltimore where her father Thomas D'Alesandro Jr. served as the Mayor and later the Congressman.

Rep. Pelosi married businessman Paul Pelosi in 1962 and moved to New York City before settling down in San Francisco with their five children.

Rep. Pelosi entered politics in the 1960s as a volunteer for the Democratic Party. She then rose to become the Chair of the California Democratic Party. She won her first race running for Congress to represent San Francisco in 1987.

Wind Newspaper transcribes and publishes Rep. Pelosi's retirement speech in her video. We also translate her speech into Chinese.

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Retirement speech of U.S. Representative Nancy Pelosi (D-CA)

“We are fortunate to live in the most beautiful, remarkable place on earth. But the true magic of San Francisco, the San Franciscans.

There's a reason why our city has always been synonymous with the future. Here we don't fear the future. From the Gold Rush to the miracles of science and technology, our city has always been the cradle of innovation buzzing with optimism and creativity.

We are a vibrant and diverse city, home to hard-working families, diligent students, and heroic veterans, and the dreams of entrepreneurs and immigrants.

From Chinatown to Japantown, the Mission to the Fillmore, and Hunters Point to the Castro, North Beach to the Sunset, we are also resilient, experiencing more than our fair share of challenges.

When the Loma Prieta earthquake struck, we brought in federal support that ensured we would not just recover, but reimagine the South of Market neighborhood.

And of course, HIV/AIDS tested our city to its core. But out of our agony came action. Under the leadership of UCSF and San Francisco General, we pioneered comprehensive, community based care, prevention and research. That very system served as a model as we wrote the Ryan White Care Act, which still ensures access to life-saving medical care nationwide.

Fittingly, our city is home to the National AIDS Memorial Grove, a place of renewal, where we remember the loved ones we lost.

For decades, I have cherished the privilege of representing our magnificent city in the United States Congress. It seems prophetic now that the slogan of my very first campaign in 1987 was: "A Voice That Will Be Heard" and was you who made those words come true.

It was the faith that you have 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. It was an historic moment for our country.

And it was momentous for our community, empowering me to bring home billions of dollars for our city and our state. With these resources, we have powered enormous progress.

For healthcare - from the fight against HIV AIDS to the Affordable Care Act; for transportation - extending BART, electrifying Caltrain, creating the Third Street Light Rail and the Central Subway, and strengthening our iconic Golden Gate Bridge, all creating good paying jobs.

For housing - enabling nonprofits to build affordable, low income community based housing with the Low Income Housing Tax Credit; for the environment - from protecting clean air and water, to taking action on climate, to transforming the Presidio from a military post to a national park, a model for the nation.

Of course, credit for this work also goes to our brothers and sisters in labor. And it was also made possible by the entrepreneurial spirit of our private and nonprofit sectors. We can be proud of what we have accomplished. But there's always much more work to be done.

Of course, San Francisco's impact is not confined to our city limits. The Affordable Care Act, Wall Street reform, human rights abroad, and so many other priorities all sprang from the vision, values and voices of San Franciscans.

Because of your trust, I was able to represent our city and our country around the world with patriotism and pride.

I say to my colleagues in the House all the time, no matter what title they have bestowed upon me - Speaker, Leader, Whip - there has been no greater honor for me than to stand on the House floor and say: "I speak for the people of San Francisco."

I have truly loved serving as your voice in Congress, and I have always honored that song of Saint Francis, "Lord, make me an instrument of thy peace." The anthem of our city. That is why I want you - my fellow San Franciscans - to be the first to know.

I will not be seeking re-election to Congress. What a grateful heart, I look forward to my final year of service as your proud representative.

As we go forward, my message to the City I love is this: 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, a beacon of hope, justice, and peace for the country and for generations to come.

After all, San Francisco is the greatest city on earth, with the most extraordinary people on earth, and a place that I will always believe is heaven on earth.”