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Nancy Pelosi, Speaker Emeritus?

The longtime Democratic leader, a fixture of the House for decades, will step back into a chairman-like role in the minority rather than retire immediately, giving her time to manage her succession and ensure the stability of her caucus through the forthcoming McCarthy era.

Nancy Pelosi
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is expected to walk onto House floor this afternoon to take her final bow after 19 years as head of the Democratic caucus. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images
Tara Palmeri
November 17, 2022

Sometime around noon, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will walk out onto the House floor to take her final bow after 19 years as head of the Democratic caucus with a speech about passing the torch from one generation to the next, I’m told. But instead of riding high into retirement, as has long been assumed, or becoming ambassador to Italy—a diplomatic posting the White House has been holding open for her—Pelosi will announce that she plans to stay in Congress as a backbencher, roaming the halls in a sort of emeritus role and helping to guide Democrats through their turn in the minority.