Biography
Nancy Pelosi assumed office in the U.S. House of Representatives in 1987. She has won every election since, including the 2024 election. She served as speaker of the House from 2007-2011, and was elected to that position again in 2019 when the Democrats regained control of the House following the 2018 midterm elections, serving until 2023. In Congress, Pelosi was the first woman to lead a major political party, to serve as Democratic whip and to serve as speaker of the House, the highest elective office in the United States to be held by a woman prior to the election of Kamala Harris as vice president in 2020.
Pelosi was born March 26, 1940, in Baltimore, Maryland. She completed a Bachelor of Arts from Trinity College in 1962. Her father, Thomas D'Alesandro Jr., represented Maryland's 3rd congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1939-1947 and served as mayor of Baltimore from 1947-1959.
Prior to serving in Congress, Pelosi served as chair of the California State Democratic Party from 1981-1983. From 1985-1986, she served as the finance chairman for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.
She represented California's 5th District from 1988-1993, the 8th District from 1993-2013, the 12th District from 2013-2023, and the 11th since 2023.
For more information on Pelosi's policy subject areas, committee appointments and sponsored/co-sponsored legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives, please visit her profile on https://www.congress.gov.
Speeches
- Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s Retirement Announcement — Nov. 6, 2025
- Remarks at the 2024 Democratic National Convention – Aug. 21, 2024
- We Will Not Abandon Taiwan - Aug. 3, 2022
- Remarks After Donald J Trump's Second Impeachment - Jan. 13, 2021
- Remarks on impeachment of Donald J. Trump - Jan. 13, 2021
- Democratic National Convention Speech - Aug. 19, 2020
- John Lewis Eulogy - July 30, 2020
- On Coronavirus Legislation - March 13, 2020
- Announcement of Impeachment Managers – Jan. 15, 2020
- Speech supporting Trump impeachment - Dec. 18, 2019
- Announcement of the launch of the impeachment inquiry – Sept. 24, 2019
- Commencement Address at San Francisco State University – May 28, 2019
- Remarks Upon Becoming Speaker of the House - Jan. 3, 2019
- Victory Speech – Nov. 6, 2018
- DACA House Speech - February 7, 2018
- Remarks at the 2016 Democratic National Convention - July 26, 2016
- Remarks at California Democrats Convention - May 16, 2015
- Commencement Address at Bard College - May 24, 2014
- Commencement Address at UC Berkeley - May 17, 2014
- Commencement Address at UC Davis School of Law - May 17, 2013
- Remarks at 2012 Democratic National Convention - Sept. 5, 2012
- Commencement Address at Trinity Washington University - May 20, 2012
- Calling on House Republicans to Pass a Jobs Bill - March 27, 2012
- Commencement Address at Mills College - May 15, 2010
- Remarks at the 2008 Democratic National Convention - Aug. 25, 2008
- Commencement Speech at Miami Dade College - May 3, 2008
- Remarks Upon Becoming Speaker of the House - Jan. 4, 2007
- Labor Issues - July 25, 2005
- Great Potential of Embryonic Stem Cell Research - May 24, 2005
- Prebuttal to State of the Union Address - Dec. 27, 2003
- Distinguished Citizen Award - Nov. 9, 2002
- Unilateral Force and the War on Terrorism - Oct. 10, 2002
- Floor Speech on Future Plans – Nov. 17, 2022