Democrat Nancy Pelosi, the trailblazing first female speaker of the US House of Representatives, said Thursday that she will step down as party leader when Republicans take control of the chamber in January.
Republicans secured a slim majority in the House in last week’s midterm elections while Democrats retained control of the Senate.
Pelosi’s departure as party leader will mark the end of an era in Washington.
Elected to Congress in 1987, she first became speaker in 2007. Known for keeping a tight grip on party ranks, she presided over both impeachments of Donald Trump during her second stint in the role.
Currently second in the line of succession to President Joe Biden, Pelosi said last week that her decision on the future would be influenced by the brutal attack on her elderly husband in the runup to the November 8 midterms.
Pelosi said she would continue to represent her San Francisco district in the next Congress and praised Democrats’ better-than-expected performance in the midterm contest.
