A success timeline featuring the most significant achievements of Nancy Pelosi.
Nancy Pelosi is an American politician notable for being the 52nd Speaker of the House, serving from 2007-2011 and 2019-2023. As a Democrat, she was the first woman to hold the Speakership and lead a major party in Congress, heading House Democrats from 2003-2023. Representing California's 11th district since 1987, encompassing much of San Francisco, she holds the distinction of being the dean of California's congressional delegation.
April 7, 1987: Won Special Election to Succeed Sala Burton
On April 7, 1987, Nancy Pelosi won the special election to succeed Sala Burton, defeating Democratic San Francisco supervisor Harry Britt.
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1988: Pelosi's First Reelection Campaign
In her first reelection campaign in 1988, Pelosi won an average of 80% of the vote.
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2001: Elected House Minority Whip
In 2001, Nancy Pelosi was elected House minority whip.
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2001: Elected House Minority Whip
In 2001, Nancy Pelosi was elected the House minority whip, becoming the first woman in U.S. history to hold that post.
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November 15, 2002: Defeated Ford for House Democratic Caucus Leader
On November 15, 2002, Nancy Pelosi defeated Harold Ford Jr. 117-29 in a closed-door vote of caucus members to become the House Democratic Caucus's leader.
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November 2002: Elected House Minority Leader
In November 2002, Nancy Pelosi was elected House minority leader, becoming the first woman to lead a major party in either chamber of Congress.
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2004: Pelosi's Seventh Reelection Campaign
In her seventh reelection campaign in 2004, Pelosi won an average of 80% of the vote.
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November 16, 2006: Nominated for Speaker
On November 16, 2006, the Democratic caucus unanimously nominated Nancy Pelosi for speaker.
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2006: Democrats Regain House Majority
In the 2006 midterm elections, Nancy Pelosi led the Democrats to a majority in the House for the first time in 12 years and was subsequently elected Speaker.
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2007: First Speakership
In 2007, Nancy Pelosi became the 52nd speaker of the United States House of Representatives.
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2007: Spearheaded the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007
In 2007, as Speaker of the House, Pelosi spearheaded the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 as part of the 100-Hour Plan.
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September 2008: Pelosi hosts reception with Israeli Speaker
In September 2008, Nancy Pelosi hosted a reception in Washington with Israeli Speaker of the Knesset Dalia Itzik, where they celebrated the strong friendship between Israel and the United States.
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2010: Instrumental in Passing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act
In 2010, Pelosi was instrumental in passing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. She played a key role in convincing Obama to continue pushing for health-care reform.
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July 2015: Pelosi supports Iran nuclear deal
In July 2015, Nancy Pelosi expressed confidence that President Obama would secure enough votes for the Iran nuclear deal, praising his presentation and calling the deal "a diplomatic masterpiece."
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April 2018: Pelosi Recognized as Effective Leader
In April 2018, Peter Beinart wrote in The Atlantic that Pelosi had been "the most effective congressional leader of modern times—and, not coincidentally, the most vilified."
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November 2018: Democrats gain control of the House, Pelosi becomes Speaker
In November 2018, the Democrats gained control of the House, and Pelosi took office as Speaker.
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2018: Democrats Regain Majority
In 2018 midterm elections, the Democrats regained majority control of the House, and Pelosi was again elected Speaker.
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2018: Democrats Recapture House Majority
In the 2018 elections, the Democrats gained 41 seats, recapturing a House majority. This was the party's largest gain since 1974.
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January 3, 2019: Pelosi Reelected as Speaker of the House
On January 3, 2019, Pelosi was reelected as Speaker of the House at the start of the 116th Congress, agreeing to serve no more than four years in the role.
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June 2019: Recognition as an Effective Speaker
In June 2019, Brent Budowsky opined in The Hill that Pelosi had been "the most important, consequential and effective Speaker since Tip O'Neill".
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2019: Second Speakership
In 2019, Nancy Pelosi became speaker of the United States House of Representatives for a second time.
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January 2020: Pelosi Compared to Sam Rayburn
In January 2020, on the eve of Trump's first impeachment trial, Paul Kane of the Washington Post called Pelosi the most powerful House speaker in at least 25 years, noting that some historians were comparing her influence to that of former speaker Sam Rayburn.
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2021: Key Role in Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act Passage
In 2021, Pelosi played a key role in the passage of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act.
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2021: John Boehner on Pelosi's Influence
In 2021, former Republican speaker John Boehner opined that Pelosi had been the most powerful House speaker in U.S. history.
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November 2022: Recognition as "Most Effective Speaker Ever"
In November 2022, several commentators, including Chris Cillizza, Johnathan Bernstein, Jackie Calmes and Sarah Ferris, described Pelosi as the "most effective speaker ever" or one of the greatest and most powerful speakers in history.
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November 29, 2022: Named Speaker Emerita
On November 29, 2022, the Steering and Policy Committee of the House Democratic Caucus named Pelosi "Speaker Emerita".
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2022: Passage of Key Legislation During 117th Congress
During the 117th Congress, the CHIPS and Science Act, Inflation Reduction Act, and Honoring our PACT Act of 2022 (PACT Act) were passed.
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