Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi has filed paperwork to run for another term in Congress in the 2026 midterm elections, though it remains to be seen whether a real campaign will emerge.
A spokesperson for Pelosi downplayed speculation about another congressional bid, telling The Standard that the filing, called a Statement of Candidacy, is legally required when a campaign spends or raises more than $5,000 after Election Day.
Nonetheless, the documentation fueled talk about whether Pelosi will choose to stay in Congress after Donald Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris in the presidential election.
In an interview with the New York Times, Pelosi dismissed a question about whether this will be her last term, saying, “I’m not here to talk about that.”
“I’m here to fight the fight so that we win in the next election,” Pelosi continued. “I must have thought I’ve had the last term over and over again, but as fate would have it, the mission called.”
As a Democratic Party boss, Pelosi, 84, played a key role in President Joe Biden’s 11th-hour exit from the presidential race and has since blamed him for not bowing out sooner.
In addition to losing the presidency, the Democrats must now cede to Republican control over both chambers of Congress and a U.S. Supreme Court with three Trump-appointed justices.
Pelosi was viewed as a chief foil for Trump during his first term, whether brawling with him inside the Oval Office or ripping up his speech during his State of the Union.
Pelosi handily won reelection Nov. 5, with 81% of the vote.
Speculation has been simmering for some time over a future war between Pelosi’s daughter, Christine Pelosi, and state Sen. Scott Wiener, D-San Francisco, who has created an exploratory committee for the seat.
Han Li contributed reporting.