Nancy Pelosi to step down as House Dem leader after two decades, with GOP set to take slim majority

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Thursday she volition not question reelection to her legislature enactment role, ending a two-decade streak arsenic the apical House Democrat that saw her go the archetypal pistillate to pb the chamber.

Pelosi, speaking connected the House floor, said she volition stay a subordinate of Congress and service retired the word to which she was conscionable elected.

"With large assurance successful our caucus, I volition not question reelection to Democratic enactment successful the adjacent Congress," Pelosi said betwixt rounds of applause passim the 14-minute speech.

"For me, the hr has travel for a caller procreation to pb the Democratic Congress that I truthful profoundly respect," Pelosi said. "And I americium grateful that truthful galore are acceptable and consenting to enarthrosis this awesome responsibility."

The announcement came a time aft quality outlets projected that Democrats would narrowly suffer their House bulk to Republicans pursuing the midterm elections.

Pelosi, 82, has kept her aboriginal plans nether wraps successful the aftermath of the midterms, erstwhile Democrats exceeded expectations up and down the ballot. Republicans, who anticipated that a "red wave" would present them sweeping majorities successful Congress, volition alternatively instrumentality a bladed pb successful the House, per NBC News estimates.

Pelosi has besides said that a caller onslaught connected her husband, Paul Pelosi, by a hammer-wielding location intruder would impact her determination connected whether to stay successful leadership.

Current House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., is considered the apical campaigner to go talker successful the adjacent Congress. On Tuesday, McCarthy won a enactment ballot to go the GOP nominee for speaker, though helium secured less votes than the 218 helium volition request erstwhile the afloat House casts its enactment votes successful aboriginal January.

It's unclear however the flip successful House enactment volition shingle up Democrats' apical ranks. House Majority Steny Hoyer, D-Md., has served nether Pelosi for years, but the 83-year-old isn't a fastener to pb successful the minority, arsenic immoderate Democrats are looking for newer, younger figures to usher successful a caller procreation of leadership.

Elected to Congress successful 1987, Pelosi became the highest-ranking pistillate successful legislature past successful 2002, erstwhile she was elected House number whip successful the aftermath of that year's midterms. She became House number person successful 2003, and roseate to Speaker of the House aft Democrats won backmost the bulk successful 2006.

In her 2 stints arsenic speaker, Pelosi presided implicit a laundry database of large governmental milestones and crises, arsenic good arsenic 2 impeachment proceedings against then-President Donald Trump.

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