WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Nancy Pelosi, the first woman to serve as the powerful Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, said on Thursday that she will not run for re-election to Congress in 2026, ending a four-decade career of a progressive Democratic icon often vilified by the right.

Nancy Pelosi announced on Thursday that she would not seek re-election to the US House of Representatives, bringing to a close one of Washington’s most extraordinary political careers.

"We have made history, we have made progress," Pelosi said in her message.