Millions of Americans who have cultivated their hatred of Nancy Pelosi for decades may soon find they actually miss her. The 85‑year‑old “Speaker Emerita” announced her retirement from Congress on Thursday, but the unfortunately named Scott Wiener — a longtime state lawmaker from Pelosi’s California neighborhood — was already prepared to seize the day. Wiener said last month that he’d run to replace Pelosi in 2026 whether she was running or not.
Like a stolid Soviet leader atop Lenin’s Tomb, Pelosi had quietly signaled before her retirement announcement that she’ll likely endorse someone — maybe anyone — else to succeed her. At a recent rally for Governor Gavin Newsom’s Proposition 50 redistricting effort, reporters noted that Pelosi was joined by just one local official, Connie Chan, the San Francisco supervisor who has said she plans to run in the event of Pelosi’s now-official retirement. Another option is Pelosi’s daughter, Christine, a Democratic strategist. Christine hasn’t said she’ll run, but she would have obvious advantages in any race for any seat in any deep-blue district.
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