Speaker Nancy Pelosi won't seek leadership post in next House session

Nov. 17 (UPI) -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday she will not seek a leadership post for House Democrats when they lose power in January, ending an era. She was the first female House Speaker in history.

The announcement sets off a generational scramble of who will lead the Democrats in the House, where the second in line, Rep. Steny Hoyer, D-Md., has told colleagues he will not seek a leadership position either. That leaves the party's top two positions open.

Third in line, Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina is 82 and has not announced his intentions. That could leave the door open for Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., to become the first person of color to lead the party in the House.

"I will not seek re-election to Democratic leadership in the next Congress," Pelosi said. "The hour has come for a new generation to lead the Democratic caucus that I so deeply respect."

Pelosi, 82, who has been a lightning rod for Republicans in political campaigns against Democratic challengers, will keep her House seat, representing San Francisco.

The announcement comes weeks after her husband, Paul Pelosi, was attacked in their family home in California, a crime believed to be politically motivated.

"History will note she is the most consequential speaker of the House of Representatives in our history," President Joe Biden said in a statement. "There are countless examples of how she embodies the obligation of elected officials to uphold their oath to God and country to ensure our democracy delivers and remains a beacon to the world.

"In everything she does, she reflects a dignity in her actions and a dignity she sees in the lives of the people of this nation."

Pelosi, the daughter of a Maryland politician, has served in the House since 1987 and made history as the first female speaker in 2007. She earned respect as one of the party's leading fundraisers and solidifying unity inside her party on divisive issues.