Welcome to the jungle: Nancy Pelosi retirement sets off race to fill Democratic titan’s shoes

Published November 7, 2025 8:00am ET



Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi’s (D-CA) retirement will open up her San Francisco-based House seat for the first time in decades, with eyes already turning to state Democrats to see who will jump into the jungle primary to replace the political powerhouse.

Pelosi, who announced her retirement on Thursday, is the latest in a handful of old guard establishment Democrats making their exit in the wake of the 2024 election — especially as younger, progressive candidates are launching primary bids against elder lawmakers. 

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