Pelosi says she will not seek reelection

Former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said Thursday that she will not seek reelection, bringing her nearly 40-year congressional career to an end.

The California Democrat made the annoucement in a video, The Associated Press reported.

The 85-year-old Pelosi, the first female House speaker, said she would finish out her final year in office.

“My message to the city I love is this: San Francisco, know your power,” Pelosi said. “We have made history. We have made progress. We have always led the way.”

“And now we must continue to do so by remaining full participants in our democracy and fighting for the American ideals we hold dear,” she added.