Speculation that ex-Speaker Nancy Pelosi will retire is mounting, with Democrats saying they believe she will make an announcement after Election Day, NBC reports.
Rumors of retirement have dogged the 85-year-old Pelosi for years, but the leftist politician has kept a tenacious hold on power, defying her critics.
Insiders told NBC that Pelosi will likely leave on a high note after the expected passage of Proposition 50, Democrats' partisan redistricting proposal in California.
“I wish she would stay for 10 more years,” one House Democrat from California told NBC. “I think she’s out. She’s going to go out with Prop 50 overwhelmingly passing, and what a crowning achievement for her to do that.”
A fixture on Capitol Hill for years, Pelosi ranks as one of the most influential and wealthiest politicians in the country. Her finances have come under close scrutiny in recent years, fueling calls to ban stock trading by lawmakers.
A House Democrat leadership aide said, “I think she’s preparing to exit the stage," adding, "We will not fully appreciate the time we have spent with her."
Meanwhile, a Democratic official in Pelosi's San Francisco fiefdom said, “Most people think it is highly unlikely that she will run for another term."
Primary challengers have already started to line up for Pelosi's seat, including California state senator Scott Wiener, a notorious radical.
During a Monday appearance on CNN, Pelosi demurred when asked about her plans.
“I have said I won’t do anything until Preposition 50, so tomorrow night will be very fraught with meaning for all of us. I want to win big, I think we can win big, and I don‘t want to be spending time on whatever I might be doing. I want to spend my time on what we‘re doing, working together to get out the vote,” Pelosi said on CNN.
Pelosi's retirement, when it comes, will be a pivotal moment in American politics.
The first female Speaker of the House, Pelosi was the Democrats' ruthless leader in the chamber for nearly two decades, including the entirety of President Trump's first term. She served two separate stints as Speaker before resigning from leadership after the 2022 midterms elections.
She has played a more muted role in Trump's second term, which has been a difficult time for Democrats as they have drifted without a sense of direction.
Her handpicked successor in the House, minority leader Hakeem Jeffries, has struggled to lead Democrats with the same discipline that Pelosi had.
