“Washington and Congress are steeped in history and tradition, and that's been very male-oriented.”

American politician, born 1940

Nancy Pelosi is an American politician, born in 1940, who has served in the U.S. House of Representatives since 1987. A Democrat, she is best known for becoming the 52nd speaker of the House and for leading House Democrats over two decades. She represented California's 11th congressional district, which includes most of San Francisco, and her House leadership spanned from 2003 to 2023. She was the first woman to lead a major political party in either chamber of Congress, and her long tenure as a party leader ranks among the longest in House history.