House Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) forecasted Democrats would take back the House in the 2026 midterm elections, railing against congressional Republicans for following what President Donald Trump “insists that they do.”
Pelosi, the first female House speaker, announced she would not seek reelection to Congress in November, but with about a year left in the lower chamber, Pelosi told ABC News’s Jonathan Karl that she will work to crown House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) as the next speaker.
“I’m busy and focused on winning the House for the Democrats, making Hakeem Jeffries the speaker of the House, and to take us to a better place,” Pelosi said in the interview.
Pelosi called Jeffries a “unifier” and said he is respected and ready for the job, reassuring Karl she has no doubts about him winning a speaker election. She also projected that Democrats will be able to make more legislative progress after the midterm elections.
“Right now, the Republicans in the Congress have abolished the Congress. They just do what the president insists that they do. That will be over. That ends as soon as we have the gavel,” Pelosi said.
WELCOME TO THE JUNGLE: NANCY PELOSI RETIREMENT SETS OFF RACE TO FILL DEMOCRATIC TITAN’S SHOES
Republicans currently hold the majority of the lower chamber, with 220 seats after Rep. Matt Van Epps (R-TN) was sworn in by Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) in December. Democrats hold 213 seats, with two vacancies left by the resignation of Gov.-elect Mikie Sherrill (D-NJ) and the death of former Rep. Sylvester Turner (D-TX).
Two Democrats swiftly launched bids for Pelosi’s San Francisco seat before and after her retirement announcement: California state Sen. Scott Wiener and a former aide for Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Saikat Chakrabarti. The primary will take place on June 2, 2026, with the general election on Nov. 3.
