The progressive wing of the Democratic Party has drawn a line in the sand: They are done dealing with the likes of lawmakers who find compromise. It has been rumored through "unknown sources" that many in the party say Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) – or Speaker Emerita, as she describes herself – must be sent to the retirement home. To the dismay of her millennial colleagues, Pelosi refuses to quit.
To say removing this woman from power is an uphill battle would be an understatement. Nancy owns the party and has her fingers in every cookie jar in the Swamp and beyond. And she has officially filed for re-election in 2026.
But why would she chain herself to DC instead of gracefully departing with a ton of money and a stellar legacy? She can't seem to help herself but be consumed by the king-making – and recently king-breaking – power she has wielded for decades.
Good Luck With That
Mrs. Pelosi is 85 years old. And that alone inspires some concern in her party faithful that they don't want another Biden mishap or a worst-case scenario, as with members dying in office when too stubborn to step down – Senators Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and John McCain (R-AZ) come to mind.
Pelosi is a force of nature and a slick politician. And it takes one to know one: "As long as Nancy takes a breath, she is going to do what she wants to do," said Willie Brown, former mayor of San Francisco. Pelosi herself embraces this image, telling Anderson Cooper on CNN, "I'm more reptilian. Cold-blooded. To win the election."
Pelosi stepped down from being speaker of the House when things began to go south for the Biden administration. And some might be tempted to think that makes her a mere congressional backbencher from San Francisco. But face the facts: No one – not former President Barack Obama, the editorial board of The Washington Post, which proudly penned a resignation speech for the president, or activist actor George Clooney – could convince Joe Biden to step away. Remember that just two months before number 46 caved, he was adamant about his election chances. "I mean, if the Lord Almighty came down and said, 'Joe, get out of the race,' I'd get out of the race," Biden joked with ABC's George Stephanopoulos in early July 2024. "The Lord Almighty's not coming down." No, the Lord stayed out of that skirmish. But along came Nancy Pelosi, who Politico described as "an iron fist in a Gucci glove."
"It's up to the president to decide if he's going to run," said Nancy on MSNBC. Joe must've felt her seriousness, seen that raised brow, and ducked for cover.
Who the heck is going to go against this self-proclaimed reptilian and see their political career get gator-rolled?
Pelosi Plans a Dynasty?
Back to the question of why she wants to stay in power: Some folks say that Pelosi wants to run and win in 2026 and then step away so that her daughter, Christine, can take her place. It seems plausible enough, and we have all witnessed crazy political stunts before. But a win is far from guaranteed.
The younger folks, all progressive types, don't much care if they cross Mrs. Pelosi on their way to the top of the food chain. Saikat Chakrabarti, former chief of staff for AOC, announced via X with all sorts of energy and exclamation points: "I've got some news: I've decided to run against Nancy Pelosi to represent San Francisco in Congress. I know some of you might be surprised that Speaker Emeritus Pelosi is running again, but she is — for her 21st term!"
The rumble of change is beginning to crescendo within the fractured Democratic Party. If the progressive arm can get Pelosi to step away, no one else from the old guard likely stands a chance – except maybe Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT).
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