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Pelosi to Seek Reelection, Dems at Risk01/26 06:02
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Tuesday she will seek reelection,
ending speculation that she would retire as Democrats face the threat of losing
control of Congress in the 2022 midterms.
LOS ANGELES (AP) -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi announced Tuesday she will
seek reelection, ending speculation that she would retire as Democrats face the
threat of losing control of Congress in the 2022 midterms.
"While we have made progress, much more needs to be done to improve people's
lives," the 81-year-old Pelosi said in an online video.
"This election is crucial. Nothing less is at stake than our democracy," she
added.
By announcing she would seek a 19th term, Pelosi avoids becoming a lame duck
in a year when Democrats are clinging to a fragile majority in the House and
the party is under pressure to raise vast sums of money to defend control of
Congress.
Her decision to remain in the chamber follows announcements by 29 House
Democrats that they won't seek reelection this year, compared to 13 Republicans
as the GOP looks toward taking back the House.
The party that controls the White House typically loses seats in Congress in
midterm elections, and Democrats are defending both chambers at a time when
President Joe Biden's approval rating has been slipping.
"Our democracy is at risk because the assault on the truth, assault on the
U.S. Capitol and the state-by-state assault on voting rights," she added.
In the video, Pelosi never addresses if she intends to seek another term as
the House's Democratic leader, if reelected.
The San Francisco Democrat made history 15 years ago when she became the
first female speaker of the House. She has served in Congress since 1987.
Earlier this month in an interview with The Associated Press, Pelosi only
hinted at another run, saying she "may" seek reelection.
In a Twitter post, California Republican Kevin Kiley, a congressional
candidate and state assemblyman, said Pelosi's announcement was "all the more
reason we need Republicans in Congress who will fight."
Pelosi will be a overwhelming favorite in her heavily Democratic district --
she won with 78% of the vote in 2020. But she's also running at a time when her
hometown has been criticized for squalor and crime, including daytime shootings
in tourist areas, widespread homelessness and smash-and-grab thefts at high-end
stores.
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