Nancy Pelosi

Nancy Pelosi, born in 1940, Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives from California (1987- ) and Speaker of the House (2007- ). Born Nancy D’Alesandro in Baltimore, Maryland, she was the daughter of Thomas D’Alesandro, Jr., a five-term U.S. representative from Maryland and three-term mayor of Baltimore. She received a bachelor’s degree from Trinity College in 1962 and then moved to San Francisco.

Pelosi was chair of the northern division of the California Democratic Party before becoming state chair in 1981. She was finance chair for the national Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee in 1985. In 1987 U.S. House member Sala Burton, who was dying of cancer, endorsed Pelosi to succeed her as the representative from California’s Eighth Congressional District. Burton’s endorsement, along with the contacts Pelosi had made during her years with the Democratic Party, combined to give her a victory over city supervisor Harry Britt in the primary election. She coasted to an easy win in the general election and was returned to office in subsequent elections.

In Congress Pelosi gradually worked her way up through the Democratic leadership. She became noted for her liberal positions on issues such as women’s rights and the environment, as well as her ability to communicate with different factions in the party. In 2001 the House Democrats elected her minority whip, making her the highest-ranking woman in congressional history. In 2002 Pelosi was elected minority leader for the Democrats after Richard Gephardt resigned the position. Pelosi led her party’s strategy and fundraising efforts for the 2006 midterm elections, which gave Democrats control of Congress for the first time in 12 years. Democratic lawmakers unanimously elected Pelosi the next Speaker of the House, effective with the convening of the new Congress in January 2007. The vote distinguished Pelosi as the first female House Speaker, the highest elected post ever held by a woman in the United States.