Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi (born 26 March 1940) was a member of the US House of Representatives (D-CA 5) from 1987 to 1993, succeeding Sala Burton and preceding Bob Matsui; from CA 8 from 1993 to 2013, succeeding Ron Dellums and preceding Paul Cook; and from CA 12 from 2013, succeeding Jackie Speier. Pelosi also served as Speaker of the House from 4 January 2007 to 3 January 2011, succeeding Dennis Hastert and preceding John Boehner and as House Minority Leader from 2003 to 2007 and again from 2011.
Biography[]
Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro was born in Baltimore, Maryland on 26 March 1940 to a family of Italian descent, and she was the daughter of Congressman Thomas D'Alesandro Jr. and the sister of Mayor Thomas D'Alesandro III. While she was attending Trinity College, she married Paul Pelosi, and she moved to San Francisco, California. Pelosi rose in the ranks of the California Democratic Party, becoming a Democratic National Committee member from California in 1976. In 1977, she was elected party chair for Northern California, and she chaired the state party from 1981 to 1983.
Congress[]
Pelosi in 1993
In 1986, backed by the retiring congresswoman Sala Burton, Pelosi was elected to the US House of Representatives, representing one of the safest Democratic districts in the country (held by Democrats since 1949). She served as House Minority Whip from 2002 to 2003, House Minority Leader from 2003 to 2007, Speaker of the House from 2007 to 2011, and once more House Minority Leader from 2011. As Speaker, she tried to focus more on economic than social issues, and while she voted against the Iraq War, she voted in favor of economic support for the war. She was pro-choice, supported gun control, spearheaded the raising of the minimum wage, voted in favor of the Patriot Act, opposed an amendment banning flag-burning, voted against the Ten Commandments being displayed in public buildings, opposed offshore oil drilling, supported Obamacare, supported the US-Israel alliance, supported LGBT rights, supported reform in marijuana laws, opposed the reinstatement of the draft, and opposed waterboarding.
Gallery[]
