Nancy Pelosi is the first woman and first Californian to serve as speaker. She has represented the 8th District in the House of Representatives, which serves most of San Francisco, since 1987. In fall 2002 she was elected Democratic leader of the House.
Pelosi, (daughter of Thomas D’Alesandro, Jr.), a Representative from California; born Nancy D’Alesandro in Baltimore, Md., March 26, 1940; A.B., Trinity College, 1962; chair, California State Democratic Party, 1981-1983; finance chairman, Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, 1985-1986; elected as a Democrat to the One Hundredth Congress, by special election, to fill the vacancy caused by the death of United States Representative Sala Burton, and reelected to the ten succeeding Congresses (June 2, 1987-present); minority whip (One Hundred Seventh Congress); minority leader (One Hundred Eighth and One Hundred Ninth Congress); Speaker of the House (One Hundred Tenth Congress).
As the House Speaker, she is the most senior politician in the U.S. after the president and vice-president. Widely respected for her organizational and fund-raising skills, Pelosi has a low public profile compared with the Democrats’ other female big-hitter, Hillary Clinton.
A native of Baltimore, Pelosi comes from a large Italian-American, Roman Catholic family. She is also the child of one of Baltimore’s foremost political families – both her father and brother served as mayor of that city.
The first two words of the evening of Jan. 23 (The State of the Union Address) were evidence of how much has changed here: “Madam Speaker,” roared Congressional escorts, “the president of the United States.” Even President Bush acknowledged the transformation, setting off a wave of applause.
“And tonight I have the high privilege and distinct honor of my own as the first president to begin the State of the Union Message with these words: ‘Madam Speaker,’ ” he said in a nod to Representative Nancy Pelosi, the first woman to be speaker of the House.
The 66-year-old already made history when she won election to the role of House Democratic leader in 2002, the first woman to do so. She is now set to make the record books again.