Nancy Pelosi

Nancy Pelosi
60th Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives
Incumbent
Assumed office January 4, 2007
Preceded by	Dennis Hastert
Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from California's 8th district
Incumbent
Assumed office June 2, 1987
Preceded by	Sala Burton
Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives
In office January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2007
Preceded by	Richard Gephardt
Succeeded by	John Boehner
Democratic Leader of the United States House of Representatives
In office January 3, 2003 – January 3, 2007
Preceded by	Richard Gephardt
Succeeded by	Steny Hoyer
Minority Whip of the United States House of Representatives
In office 2002–2003
Preceded by	David E. Bonior
Succeeded by	Steny Hoyer
Personal details
Political party	Democratic
Spouse	Paul Pelosi
Residence	San Francisco, California
Alma mater	Trinity Washington University

Nancy Patricia D'Alesandro Pelosi (born March 26, 1940) is currently the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives. Before becoming Speaker in the 110th Congress, she was the House Minority Leader from 2002 to 2007, holding the post during the 107th, 108th, and 109th Congresses.

Since 1987, she has represented the 8th Congressional District of California, which consists of four-fifths of the City and County of San Francisco. The district was numbered as the 5th during Pelosi's first three terms in the House.

With her election as Speaker, she is the first woman, the first Californian, and the first Italian-American to hold the Speakership. She is the second Speaker from a state west of the Rocky Mountains, with the first being Washington's Tom Foley, who was the last Democrat to hold the post before Pelosi. As Speaker of the House, Pelosi ranks second in the line of presidential succession, following Vice President Dick Cheney. She is therefore the highest-ranking woman in the history of the U.S. Government.

Early life and career

Pelosi was born to Italian-American parents in Baltimore, Maryland. The youngest of six children, she was involved with politics from an early age. Her father, Thomas D'Alesandro, Jr., was a U.S. Congressman from Maryland and a Mayor of Baltimore. Her mother, Anunciata, was born in Italy and immigrated to the U.S. in 1911. Thomas L. J. D'Alesandro III, one of her five brothers, also served as Mayor of Baltimore from 1967 to 1971.

Pelosi graduated from Baltimore's Institute of Notre Dame high school and from Trinity College (now Trinity Washington University) in Washington, D.C. in 1962. Pelosi interned for Senator Daniel Brewster (D-Maryland) alongside future House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer. She met Paul Pelosi while she was attending Trinity College, and then Georgetown University. They married in a Catholic Church on September 7, 1963. After the couple married they moved to New York, and then to San Francisco in 1969, where his brother Ronald Pelosi was a member of the city's board of supervisors (San Francisco city and county council).

After moving to San Francisco, Pelosi worked her way up in Democratic politics. She was elected as party chairwoman for Northern California on January 30, 1977. She later joined forces with one of the leaders of the California Democratic Party, 5th District Congressman Phillip Burton. And in 1987, after her youngest child became a high school senior, she decided to run for political office.

Pelosi is an honorary board member of the National Organization of Italian American Women.

Family

Pelosi has five children: Nancy Corinne, Christine, Jacqueline, Paul, and Alexandra, as well as seven grandchildren. Alexandra, a journalist, covered the Republican presidential campaigns in 2000 and made a film about the experience, Journeys with George. She also wrote a book on coverage of the 2004 campaigns.

Financial status

The Pelosi family has a net worth of over US$25 million, primarily from Paul Pelosi's investments. In addition to their large portfolio of jointly owned San Francisco Bay Area real estate, he also has millions of dollars in stock from publicly traded companies such as Microsoft, Amazon.com and AT&T. In 2003, the Pelosi family sold their eight-acre (three hectare) Rutherford vineyard. Pelosi continues to be among the richest members of Congress.

Congressional career

Nancy Pelosi with one of her predecessors, the late House Speaker Tip O'Neill

Phillip Burton died in 1983 and was succeeded by his wife, Sala. In late 1986, Sala became ill with cancer and decided not to run for reelection in 1988. She picked Pelosi as her designated successor, guaranteeing her the support of the Burtons' contacts. Sala died on February 1, 1987, just a month after being sworn in for a second full term. Pelosi won the special election to succeed her, narrowly defeating San Francisco Supervisor Harry Britt, and took office on June 2, 1987.

Pelosi represents one of the safest Democratic districts in the country. Democrats have held the seat since 1949, and Republicans, who currently make up only 13 percent of registered voters in the district, have not made a serious bid for the seat since the early 1960s. Pelosi has kept this tradition going. Since her initial victory in 1987, she has been reelected 10 times, receiving at least 75% of the vote. She has never participated in candidates' debates.

In the House, she served on the Appropriations and Intelligence Committees, and was the ranking Democrat on the Intelligence Committee for two years.

Pelosi swears in Rep. Keith Ellison of Minnesota for the 109th Congress

Democratic Party leadership

In 2001, Pelosi was elected the House Minority Whip, second-in-command to Minority Leader Dick Gephardt of Missouri. She was the first woman in U.S. history to hold that position. Since then, she has campaigned for candidates in 30 states and in 90 Congressional districts, making her a vital factor for the Democratic Party.

In 2002, after Gephardt resigned as minority leader to seek the Democratic nomination in the 2004 presidential election, Pelosi was elected to replace him, becoming the first woman to lead a minority and major party in the House.

Pelosi and House Minority Whip (now Majority Leader) Steny Hoyer meeting with President George W. Bush on November 9, 2006

Blocking of impeachment proceedings against Bush

In the wake of George W. Bush's reelection in 2004, several leading House Democrats, including John Conyers of Michigan (then the ranking Democrat, and now the chairman, of the House Judiciary Committee) believed that Democrats should pursue impeachment proceedings against the president. They asserted that Bush had misled Congress about weapons of mass destruction in Iraq, and had violated the civil liberties of Americans by authorizing wiretaps without a warrant.

In May 2006, with an eye on the upcoming Congressional elections — which offered the possibility of Democrats taking back control of the House for the first time since 1994 — Pelosi told colleagues that, while the Democrats would conduct vigorous oversight of Bush administration policy, an impeachment investigation was "off the table." (A week earlier, she had told the Washington Post that, although Democrats would not set out to impeach the president, "you never know where" investigations might lead.)

Since becoming Speaker of the House in January 2007, Pelosi has held firm against impeachment, notwithstanding strong support for that course of action among constituents in her home district. In early July 2007, antiwar activist Cindy Sheehan announced that unless Pelosi moved to impeach Bush by July 23, Sheehan would run against Pelosi as an independent candidate in the 2008 election.

Speaker of the House

Nancy Pelosi

Democratic nomination and election as Speaker

On November 16, 2006, Pelosi was unanimously chosen as the Democratic candidate for Speaker, effectively making her Speaker-elect. While the Speaker is elected by the full House membership, in modern practice he or she always comes from the majority party.

Pelosi supported her longtime friend, John Murtha of Pennsylvania for the position of House Majority Leader, the second-ranking post in the House Democratic caucus. His competitor was House Minority Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland, who had been Pelosi's second-in-command since 2003. Pelosi and Hoyer had a somewhat frosty relationship dating back to 2001, when they ran against each other for minority whip. However, Hoyer was elected as House Majority Leader over Murtha by a margin of 149-86 within the caucus.

On January 3, Pelosi defeated Republican John Boehner of Ohio with 233 votes compared to his 202 votes in the election for Speaker of the House. She was sworn in by her longtime friend, John Dingell of Michigan. Dingell, as the longest-serving member of the House, traditionally swears in the Speaker.

Pelosi (right) with Vice President Dick Cheney behind President George W. Bush at the 2007 State of the Union Address making history as the first woman to sit behind the podium at such an address. President Bush acknowledged this by beginning his speech with the words, "Tonight, I have a 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."

With her election, Pelosi became the first woman, the first Californian and the first Italian-American to hold the Speakership. She is also the second Speaker from a state west of the Rocky Mountains. The first was Washington's Tom Foley, the last Democrat to hold the post before Pelosi.

In her speech to Congress she stated:

"I accept this gavel in the spirit of partnership, not partisanship, and look forward to working with you on behalf of the American people. In this House, we may belong to different parties, but we serve one country."

During her speech, she discussed the historical importance of being the first female to hold the Speaker's position:

"This is a historic moment — for the Congress, and for the women of this country. It is a moment for which we have waited more than 200 years. Never losing faith, we waited through the many years of struggle to achieve our rights. But women weren't just waiting; women were working. Never losing faith, we worked to redeem the promise of America, that all men and women are created equal. For our daughters and granddaughters, today, we have broken the marble ceiling. For our daughters and our granddaughters, the sky is the limit, anything is possible for them."

She also spoke on Iraq as the major issue facing the 110th Congress while incorporating some Democratic Party beliefs:

"The election of 2006 was a call to change — not merely to change the control of Congress, but for a new direction for our country. Nowhere were the American people more clear about the need for a new direction than in Iraq. The American people rejected an open-ended obligation to a war without end."

As Speaker, Pelosi is still the leader of the House Democrats. However, by tradition, she does not normally participate in debate (though she has the right to do so), and almost never votes on the floor. She is also not a member of any House committees.

Since being elected Speaker, the approval rating of the divided Congress has dropped to a historic low of less than 20% due primarily to public frustration over Congress' inability to affect Bush's Iraq policy. Individually, the approval rating of Republicans in Congress is 36%, while the approval rating of Democrats is at 44%. Pelosi has also come under fire from Democratic activists for not being aggressive enough in confronting Bush, despite the president's low approval ratings.

The "Hundred Hours"

Main article: 100-Hour Plan

Prior to the U.S. 2006 midterm elections, Pelosi announced a plan for action: If elected, she and the newly-empowered Democratic caucus would push through most of its program during the first hundred hours of the 110th Congress' term. Later she said this referred to business hours rather than clock time, and began on the Tuesday (January 9, 2007) after the swearing-in ceremony on January 4th.

The origin for the name "first hundred hours" is a play on words derived from former Democratic President Franklin D. Roosevelt's promise for quick action on the part of government (to combat the Great Depression) during his "first hundred days" in office. Newt Gingrich, the former Republican Speaker, had a similar 100-day agenda to implement the Contract with America.

File:Bush - Pelosi 20070329-6 d-0534-515h.jpg

Pelosi with President Bush, March 29, 2007

Opposition to Iraq War troop surge of 2007

Main article: Iraq War troop surge of 2007

On January 5, 2007 reacting to suggestions from President Bush’s confidantes that he would increase troop levels in Iraq (which he announced in a speech a few days later) Pelosi joined with Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid to condemn the plan. They sent Bush a letter saying, “there is no purely military solution in Iraq. There is only a political solution. Adding more combat troops will only endanger more Americans and stretch our military to the breaking point for no strategic gain. Rather than deploy additional forces to Iraq, we believe the way forward is to begin the phased redeployment of our forces in the next four to six months, while shifting the principal mission of our forces there from combat to training, logistics, force protection and counter-terror.”

Foreign policy

Pelosi (R) with House Minority Leader John Boehner (L) and President Bush (C), March 29, 2007

2007 trip to Israel and Syria

Pelosi was one of seven American lawmakers to participate in a 2007 Mideast tour — with Keith Ellison (D-MN), Henry Waxman (D-CA), Tom Lantos (D-CA), Louise Slaughter (D-NY), Nick Rahall (D-WV), and David Hobson (R-OH) — that included stops in Israel, Syria, the Palestinian territories, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia. Three Republican congressmen — Frank Wolf, Joe Pitts and Robert Aderholt — met with Syrian President Bashar Assad earlier. Pelosi had the opportunity to address the Israeli Knesset where she expressed concern "that the new (Hamas-Fatah) Palestinian government, some of the people in the government, continue to remain committed to the existence of Israel." An Israeli spokeswoman said Pelosi would convey "that Israel is willing to talk if they (Syria) would openly take steps to stop supporting terrorism" in order to be "a partner for negotiations." The delegation talked "extensively" with Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert about a relaunched 2002 Saudi peace plan with Israel, which Olmert welcomed as a "new way of thinking, the willingness to recognize Israel as an established fact and to debate the conditions of the future solution," but expressed reservations over the plan and invited Arab leaders to discuss them. The delegation met with the families of the three kidnapped Israeli soldiers during the visit and Pelosi said she planned to raise the issue when she met with Assad.

At a press conference after her meeting with Assad, Pelosi said that she had conveyed a message from Olmert to Syrian President Assad saying that Olmert was ready to negotiate for peace. Olmert's office later clarified what he had actually told Pelosi, saying that "although Israel is interested in peace with Syria, that country continues to be part of the axis of evil and a force that encourages terror in the entire Middle East." Sources at the Israeli Prime Minister's Office at the time said that, "Pelosi took part of the things that were said in the meeting, and used what suited her."

The Bush Administration disapproves of Syria's backing of Hamas and Hezbollah and says Syria is destabilizing Lebanon's government as well as fueling Iraq's violence by allowing Sunni insurgents to operate from its territory. Syrian officials have been implicated in the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese premier Rafik Hariri in Beirut, and the U.S. subsequently withdrew its ambassador. Pelosi still holds out hope for a peaceful solution, stating that "the road to Damascus is a road to peace."

Later, in Saudi Arabia, Pelosi met with King Abdullah. Pelosi visited the Shura Council, the kingdom's unelected advisory council, and raised the issue of Saudi Arabia's lack of female politicians with Saudi officials.

Cuba

Pelosi voted in favor of keeping the travel restrictions on American citizens to Cuba, until the President has certified that Cuba has released all political prisoners, and extradited all individuals sought by the U.S. on charges of air piracy, drug trafficking and murder.

Pelosi with former Vice President Al Gore, March 21, 2007

North Korea

Pelosi discussed North Korea's missile launches with the following: "North Korea is moving outside the circle of acceptable behavior and is threatening the region, the United States, and the world. We must use every possible tool to stop North Korea’s unacceptable, provocative actions including six party, multilateral, and bilateral diplomatic negotiations."

Colombia

Pelosi publicly scolded Colombian President Alvaro Uribe during Uribe's May 2007 state trip to America. Rather than meet with Uribe, Pelosi released a statement that "expressed growing concerns about the serious allegations" between Paramilitary groups and Colombian government officials. Pelosi also came out against the Colombian free trade agreement.

Turkey

In mid-October 2007, after the House Foreign Affairs Committee passed a resolution to label the 1915 killing of Armenians by Ottoman Turks as genocide, Pelosi pledged to bring the measure to a vote. The draft resolution prompted warnings from President Bush and fierce criticism from Turkey, with Turkey's prime minister saying that approval of the resolution would endanger U.S.-Turkey relations. After House support eroded, the measure's sponsors dropped their call for a vote, and in late October Pelosi agreed to set the matter aside.

Political positions and voting record

Pelosi (L) and President Bush (R) with Irish Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Bertie Ahern (C) in March 2007

Pelosi is regarded as a liberal, in part because she represents most of San Francisco, well known for its tradition of left-leaning politics. She consistently receives high ratings from liberal lobbying groups such as Americans for Democratic Action and People for the American Way, and she has a lifetime rating of 3 from the right-leaning American Conservative Union. During the 2004 and 2006 election cycles, Republicans frequently used the prospect of a "San Francisco liberal" or "Bay Area liberal" becoming Speaker as a tool to win votes, especially in the South. She was a founding member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, but left in 2003 after being elected Minority Leader. She felt that it would be inappropriate for her to be a member of any caucuses.

However, among Pelosi's Democratic colleagues, she is considered to be far less liberal than portrayed. Her longtime friend, Jim McDermott of Washington, told Newsweek that he and other left-leaning Democratic congressmen sometimes wish that "she would tilt a little more our way from time to time." During the 2006 campaign, corporate consultants suggested that the Democrats portray themselves as a party that governed for all. As Speaker, Pelosi has tried to focus more on economic than social issues.

In San Francisco, Pelosi is sometimes seen as being a moderate or even a conservative (by San Francisco standards) rather than a liberal, which has led to some conflicts with her constituents, particularly with anti-war activists. Nonetheless, she has never faced a serious challenger in the Democratic primary, which is the real contest in this overwhelmingly Democratic district.

Abortion

Pelosi supports the legality of abortion. She voted against the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act of 2003 and earlier attempts at similar bans. She voted in favor of the 1998 Abortion Funding Amendment, which allowed the use of district funds to promote abortion-related activities. She has also voted in favor of using federal funds to perform abortions in overseas military facilities, against parental notification when a minor is transported across state lines for an abortion, and in favor of providing funding for organizations working overseas that promote or perform abortions and abortion-related activities.

Budget and taxes

Pelosi has been an advocate for a balanced budget, though she voted against the 1995 Balanced Budget Proposed Constitutional Amendment, which was passed by the House by a 300-132 vote, but in the Senate fell two votes short of the 2/3 supermajority required (with 65 out of 100 Senators voting in favor).

Civil liberties

Pelosi has a mixed record on the protection of civil liberties and First Amendment rights. In 2001, she voted in favor of the highly controversial USA Patriot Act. In 2005, she voted against a Constitutional amendment banning flag-burning and against reauthorization of certain provisions of the Patriot Act. She also voted against a Congressional resolution supporting the display of the Ten Commandments in courtrooms. The ACLU's Congressional Scorecard has given Pelosi a lifetime rating of 93% for her voting record on civil liberties.

Education

Pelosi voted for the No Child Left Behind Act, which instituted testing to track students' progress and authorized an increase in overall education spending.

Environment and energy

Pelosi has supported the development of new technologies to reduce U.S. dependence upon foreign oil and ameliorate the adverse environmental effects of burning fossil fuels. Pelosi has widely supported conservation programs and energy research appropriations. Pelosi has also voted to remove an amendment that would allow for oil and gas exploration in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge.

Gay rights

Pelosi has consistently voted in keeping with the principle of assuring equality for gays and lesbians. In 1996, she was one of only 67 representatives to vote against the Defense of Marriage Act. In 1999, she voted against banning adoption by gays within the District of Columbia. In 2004 and 2006, she voted against the proposed Federal Marriage Amendment, which would amend the Constitution to define marriage as being between one man and one woman.

Gun control

Pelosi is strongly pro-gun control. In particular, she believes that gun manufacturers should be held responsible for the (mis)use of guns. The NRA has given her an F rating, indicating a strongly anti-gun stance.

Health care

Speaker Pelosi has voted to increase Medicare and Medicaid benefits.

Pelosi at San Francisco's 2006 Chinese New Year Festival and Parade

Immigration

Pelosi has been a supporter of rights for immigrants in the U.S., including those who enter illegally. She voted against the Secure Fence Act of 2006.

Lobbyist guidelines and ethics issues

Pelosi introduced the Honest Leadership and Open Government Act to Congress.

Middle East conflict

Pelosi reaffirms that "America and Israel share an unbreakable bond: in peace and war; and in prosperity and in hardship." Pelosi emphasized that "a strong relationship between the United States and Israel has long been supported by both Democrats and Republicans. America's commitment to the safety and security of the State of Israel is unwavering,...[h]owever, the war in Iraq has made both America and Israel less safe." Pelosi's voting record shows consistent support for Israel. Prior to 2006 elections in the Palestinian Authority, she voted for a Congressional initiative disapproving of participation in the elections by Hamas and other organizations defined as terrorist by the legislation. She agrees with the current U.S. stance in support of land-for-peace. She has applauded Israeli "hopeful signs" of offering land, while criticizing Palestinian "threats" of not demonstrating peace in turn. She states, "If the Palestinians agree to coordinate with Israel on the evacuation, establish the rule of law, and demonstrate a capacity to govern, the world may be convinced that finally there is a real partner for peace."

Pelosi supports the Syria Accountability Act and Iran Freedom and Support Act. In a speech at the AIPAC 2005 annual conference, Pelosi said that "for too long, leaders from both parties haven't done enough" to put pressure on Russia and China who are providing Iran with technological information on nuclear issues and missiles. "If evidence of participation by other nations in Iran's nuclear program is discovered, I will insist that the Administration use, rather than ignore, the evidence in determining how the U.S. deals with that nation or nations on other issues."

During the 2006 Lebanon War, Pelosi voted in favor of Resolution 921 on the count that "the seizure of Israeli soldiers by Hezbollah terrorists was an unprovoked attack and Israel has the right, and indeed the obligation, to respond." She argues organizations and political bodies in the Mideast like Hamas and Hezbollah "have a greater interest in maintaining a state of hostility with Israel than in improving the lives of the people they claim to represent." Pelosi asserts that civilians on both sides of the border "have been put at risk by the aggression of Hamas and Hezbollah" in part for their use of "civilians as shields by concealing weapons in civilian areas."

In a February 15, 2007 interview, Pelosi noted that Bush consistently said he supports a diplomatic resolution to differences with Iran "and I take him at his word." At the same time, she said, "I do believe that Congress should assert itself, though, and make it very clear that there is no previous authority for the president, any president, to go into Iran." On January 12, 2007, Congressman Walter B. Jones of North Carolina introduced a resolution requiring that — absent a national emergency created by an attack, or a demonstrably imminent attack, by Iran upon the United States or its armed forces — the President must consult with Congress and receive specific authorization prior to initiating any use of military force against Iran. This resolution was removed from a military spending bill for the war in Iraq by Pelosi on March 13, 2007.

On February 15, 2007, Pelosi said President Bush lacks the authority to invade Iran without specific approval from Congress, "I do believe that Congress should assert itself, though, and make it very clear that there is no previous authority for the president, any president, to go into Iran."

Military draft

In regards to Representative Charles Rangel's (D-NY) plan to introduce legislation that would reinstate the draft, Pelosi stated that she did not support such legislation.

Minimum wage

As Speaker of the House, she also spearheaded the Fair Minimum Wage Act of 2007 as part of the 100-Hour Plan. The Act raises the minimum wage in the United States and the territories of the Northern Marianas Islands and American Samoa. American Samoa was initially absent from the act, but as part of HR 2206 it was included. One Republican congressman who voted against the initial bill accused Pelosi of unethically benefiting Del Monte Foods (headquartered in her district) by the exclusion of the territory, where Del Monte's StarKist Tuna brand is a major employer. Pelosi co-sponsored legislation that omitted American Samoa from a raise in the minimum wage as early as 1999, prior to Del Monte's acquisition of StarKist Tuna in 2002. As of the 2002, 2004, and 2006 election cycles, Del Monte has not contributed to Democratic candidates.

The Second Gulf War

In 1998, Pelosi stated that Saddam Hussein "has been engaged in the development of weapons of mass destruction technology" in supporting the military air strike President Clinton carried out then "to degrade Saddam's capacity to develop and deliver weapons of mass destruction, and to degrade his ability to threaten his neighbors." After 2001, Pelosi has generally supported spending for national defense in areas of the War on Terrorism. Pelosi voted for the USA Patriot Act, but has since opposed the extension of provisions that she believes would further curtail individual liberties.

In 2002, Pelosi opposed the Iraq Resolution authorizing President Bush to use military force against Iraq, while stating that Iraq, like "other countries of concern", had WMD. In explaining her opposition to the resolution, Pelosi noted that Central Intelligence Agency Director George Tenet had told Congress that the likelihood of Iraq's Saddam Hussein launching an attack on the U.S. using weapons of mass destruction was low. "This is about the Constitution," Pelosi said. "It is about this Congress asserting its right to declare war when we are fully aware what the challenges are to us. It is about respecting the United Nations and a multilateral approach, which is safer for our troops."

Waterboarding

Pelosi officially opposes the interrogation technique of waterboarding. In 2002, Pelosi and several other Congressional leaders received a briefing on then-secret interrogation techniques including waterboarding, and did not object to the technique. Pelosi's office stated that she eventually did protest the technique and that she concurred with objections raised by a Democratic colleague in a letter to the C.I.A. in early 2003.

Congressional scorecards

See also

• Profile at Vote Smart

Project Vote Smart provides the following results from congressional scorecards.

• American Civil Liberties Union – 100% for 2005–2006
• Americans for Democratic Action – 95% for 2006
• American Land Rights Association – 9% for 2006
• Americans for Tax Reform – 0% for 2006
• AFL-CIO – 93% in 2006
• Campaign for America's Future – 100% for 2005-2006
• Conservative Index-John Birch Society – 0% for Fall 2004
• Children's Defense Fund – 100% for 2006
• Drug Policy Alliance – 100% for 2006
• Drum Major Institute – 100% for 2005
• Family Research Council – 0% for 2006
• FreedomWorks – 0% for 2006
• Gun Owners of America – 0% for 2006
• Humane Society of the United States – 56% for 2005-2006
• League of Conservation Voters – 100% for 2006
• NARAL Pro-Choice America – 100% for 2006
• National Association of Wheat Growers – 28% for 2005
• National Education Association – 100% for 2005-2006
• National Federation of Independent Business – 14% for 2005-2006
• National Journal – Composite liberal score of 92.3% for 2006
• National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws – 20 for 2006
• National Organization for Women – 95% for 2005-2006
• National Rifle Association – F for 2006
• National Right to Life Committee – 0% for 2005-2006
• National Taxpayers Union – 11% for 2006
• Population Connection – 100% for 2006
• Republican Liberty Caucus – 15% for 2005
• Secular Coalition for America – 80% on 2006 scorecards
• United States Chamber of Commerce – 40% for 2006

Electoral history

Pelosi's only close race so far has been the special election to succeed Sala Burton's seat after her death in February 1987. In the special election's Democratic primary, Pelosi narrowly defeated San Francisco Supervisor Harry Britt, considered the more "progressive" candidate, with 36 percent of the vote to his 32 percent. In the runoff against Republican candidate Harriet Ross, Pelosi received more than a 2 to 1 majority of cast votes in a turnout that comprised about 24% of eligible voters. Since then, Pelosi has enjoyed overwhelming support in her political career, collecting 76 and 77 percent of the vote in California's 5th congressional district for the 1988 and 1990 Race for U.S. House of Representatives. In 1992, after the redistricting from the 1990 Census, Pelosi ran in California's 8th congressional district, which now covered the San Francisco area. She has continued to post impressive results since, dropping beneath 80 percent of the vote only once.

* Sala Burton died while in office; Nancy Pelosi won a close Democratic primary with 36% of the vote. She then easily won the runoff with ~63% of the vote to serve out the remainder of Burton's term.

* Write-in notes: According to the Clerk's office, there were 9 write-in votes registered in 1992; 1 write-in vote in 1994; and 2 write-ins in 2002. In 2004, Terry Baum waged a write-in campaign after being disqualified from the ballot under the aegis of the Green Party, but write-ins technically do not have a party.

See also

• United States House elections, 2006

External links

• Speaker of the House Official website
• U.S. Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi Official site

• Biography at the Biographical Directory of the United States Congress
• Financial information (federal office) at the Federal Election Commission
• Profile at Vote Smart
• SourceWatch Congresspedia — Nancy Pelosi profile
• The American Ireland Fund Peace Award recipient
• Video Biography NIAF Lifetime Achievement Award

Articles

• YouTube — NancyPelosi Channel
• The New York Times — Nancy Pelosi News news stories and commentary
• Trinity Graduates Win Re-election: House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi '62 Poised to Become Speaker, Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius '70 Wins Second Term from Trinity Washington University, November 8, 2006
• Rolling With Pelosi, from Newsweek, October 23, 2006
• Pelosi mines 'California gold' for Dems nationwide: Personal skills, wide network of wealthy donors help party's House leader gather millions, from sfgate.com, April 3, 2006
• Pelosi rides high, from The Economist, Feb 22, 2007
• This Is What a Speaker Looks Like, the Winter 2007 cover story to Ms.
• Nancy Pelosi Charlie Rose interviews