House Speaker Pelosi to Seek Reelection, Reversing Earlier Plan

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said on Tuesday she will run for a 19th term in office, signaling that she could also seek to continue leading her caucus after earlier saying she would step down from leadership after 2022.

The 81-year-old California lawmaker was the first woman to serve as speaker and had been expected to step down, particularly as her party braces for a possible loss of its majority in the Nov. 8 midterm elections.

Pelosi said in a tweet: "While we have made progress much more needs to be done to improve people’s lives. This election is crucial: nothing less is at stake than our Democracy. But we don’t agonize -- we organize. I am running for re-election to Congress to deliver For The People and defend Democracy."