WASHINGTON — Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Thursday that she will not run for another term as Democratic leader, adhering to a self-imposed term-limit pledge she made four years ago.
“With great confidence in our caucus, I will not seek reelection to Democratic leadership in the next Congress,” the California Democrat said in a speech from the House floor. She said she plans to remain a member of the House.
More than half of the Democratic Caucus, including the current and potential future leadership team, gathered in the chamber to listen to her announcement. Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer, a New York Democrat and former House member who said this week that he’d love to see Pelosi run for leader again, also attended.
The 82-year-old Pelosi has served in Congress since 1987 and led House Democrats since 2002. She was minority leader for four years until Democrats flipped the House and she was elected the first female speaker in 2007.
Pelosi led Democrats in passing major legislation after President Barack Obama took office in 2009, including the signature 2010 health care law she touts as one of her proudest accomplishments. But the initial unpopularity of that law was among the reasons Republicans took back the House later in 2010, relegating Pelosi and Democrats to the minority for eight years.
Democrats won the majority back in 2018 in large part because of their campaign messaging on lowering health care and prescription drug costs, and Pelosi was elected speaker again. But she initially faced pushback from Democrats who wanted to see a new generation of leaders rise, since Pelosi and her top two deputies, Steny H. Hoyer of Maryland and James E. Clyburn of South Carolina, have led the caucus for years.
To secure the gavel, Pelosi promised those anxious Democrats she would limit herself to two more terms as Democratic leader, which means she was expected to step down at the end of this year.
On Thursday she honored that commitment.
Although it’s unclear exactly when Pelosi made her decision, it was within the past 24 hours. Her longtime spokesman Drew Hammill tweeted Thursday that Pelosi took two versions of her floor speech home Wednesday night and anybody claiming they knew what she would do is “a liar.”
The Democratic Caucus is scheduled to hold its leadership elections on Nov. 30.
House Democrats held their regular whip meeting Thursday morning, and Pelosi did not attend. She was spotted entering the Capitol around the time the meeting broke up, just before 10 a.m.
House Democratic Caucus Chairman Hakeem Jeffries of New York, considered Pelosi’s most likely successor, left the meeting declining to reveal his leadership plans or if he would even make an announcement Thursday after Pelosi. So did Assistant Speaker Katherine Clark of Massachusetts and Democratic Caucus Vice Chair Pete Aguilar of California, who have been expected to run for the Nos. 2 and 3 slots.
“We’ll communicate to our colleagues when it’s right,” Aguilar said, when asked about his plans after Pelosi’s speech.
Hoyer is not running for leadership again, but will remain in the House and will support Jeffries for the top position, according to a source familiar with his plans. Clyburn has said he would not run for the top slot but would like to stay involved in leadership in some capacity.
Leaving the floor after her speech, Pelosi declined to say who she would like to succeed her as leader.
Other Democrats leaving the whip meeting Thursday said they had no idea what Pelosi would do. But the consensus was if she decided to run for another term as leader, she would undoubtedly have the majority of the caucus’s support, which is all she would need to win a minority leader race.
“I think those who are looking to assume leadership are highly deferential to what she wants to do," California Rep. Mark Takano said. " … She’s been a historic, transformational speaker, the most effective speaker, I think, in American history.”
Rhode Island Rep. David Cicilline said Democrats overperformed midterm election expectations in large part because of Pelosi’s leadership. Republicans officially secured the House majority Wednesday evening, with the current tally of races The Associated Press has called at 218-211.
“So I think if the speaker decides to remain our leader, she’ll enjoy the support of our caucus,” he said. “If she doesn’t, then she’ll have left a legacy of extraordinary achievement for the American people.”
Cicilline said he would be supporting Jeffries for leader if Pelosi doesn’t run, explaining, “He has demonstrated tremendous talent and an ability to really listen to the members of the caucus.”
New York Rep. Gregory W. Meeks likewise said he’d back Jeffries if Pelosi stepped aside, citing his ability, along with Pelosi, to unify what he says is the most diverse Democratic caucus ever in terms of both ethnicity and race. He added that Jeffries has the communication skills necessary to speak to Democrats’ priorities, whether he’s addressing the caucus or the public.
“I think that he’s able to excite Democrats and independents and get a job done,” Meeks said, predicting Jeffries would have enough support to win a majority vote of the caucus.
