At 85 years old, Representative Nancy Pelosi has announced that she will retire in 2027, marking the end of her 20th term in Congress.

Rep. Nancy Pelosi, the first woman to serve as speaker of the House, announced on Nov. 6 that she would be retiring after 20 terms in Congress. It was a long time coming. Pelosi, 85, said in a video to her constituents that she would not be seeking reelection in 2026 and would leave at the end of her term after nearly four decades in office.

Questions about the age and fitness for office of certain lawmakers are spurring conversations about whether Congress, as a body, is getting too old.

Nancy Pelosi deserves credit for helping millions of people. She's also partly responsible for how we got here.

Pelosi’s retirement sparks a competitive Democratic race for her San Francisco-based House seat, with two candidates declared and three more rumored.