Nancy Pelosi, the California Democrat who scaled the leadership ladder to become the first female speaker of the House, will not seek a 21st term next year, she announced in a video message Thursday.

“I want you, my fellow San Franciscans, to be the first to know: I will not be seeking reelection to Congress. With a grateful heart, I look forward to my final year of service as your proud representative,” Pelosi said in the video .

Pelosi’s decision puts an end date on a nearly four-decadeslong electoral career that began when she won a 1987 House special election to her San Francisco-based district in her first run for public office.

Her fingerprints are on almost every major piece of legislation Democrats have championed this century, including the Affordable Care Act and tougher r

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