Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s decision to step aside after nearly four decades in Congress has opened a wide race

Leaders of San Francisco's LGBTQ community praised Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi for her decades of support and dedication to public service when reacting to her announcement that she will retire after serving out her current term in January 2027.

Saikat Chakrabarti, 39, a software engineer and co-founder of the progressive organization Justice Democrats and president of New Consensus, announced his run against Pelosi in February. He has had a successful behind-the-scenes political campaign career, as well as in software engineering. He is a Harvard University graduate.

As Ms. Pelosi announced her retirement, she was celebrated for her long tenure in Washington. But back home, she was remembered for showing up at a terrifying moment when others turned away.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi’s decision not to run for reelection, announced Thursday, will allow San Francisco to openly debate how its representative — and the Democratic Party — should approach this unprecedented moment in American politics and democracy in the 2026 election.

According to Fox News’ Peter Doocy, Trump described Pelosi’s retirement as a “great thing” for America, going on to call her “evil,” “corrupt” and a “highly overrated politician.” The president also pointed to how the House voted to impeach him twice under her leadership.

Nearly 40 years later, Pelosi will leave office as the most powerful woman in congressional history, one of the most powerful in American history, and surely the most skilled and accomplished congressional leader of her era. On Thursday, the 85-year-old former House Speaker announced that she would not seek re-election after 20 terms.

Her tenure was certainly not flawless, but as she retires after nearly four decades in Congress, Emanuel explains why Pelosi is seen as standing alone in the modern era. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.