Pelosi, Nancy Patricia D'Alessandro (1940– )

US Democrat politician, speaker of the House of Representatives from 2007 and minority leader 2002–07. She is the first woman to lead a major party in the US Congress and, as first female speaker of the House, is the highest-ranking woman in the history of the US government. She represented California's Eighth District (which includes San Francisco) in Congress from 1987. Prior to being elected party leader in the House, she served as Democrat whip for one year, being responsible for the party's legislative strategy. In Congress she has promoted health care, including increased research to develop an HIV vaccine, affordable housing, and greater educational opportunity. As speaker, she has led Democrat opposition to President Bush's strategy of a military ‘surge’ in Irag in 2007.

She was born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland; her father Thomas D'Alessandro, Jr, represented Baltimore for 10 years in the US Congress and was its mayor for 12 years. Her brother Thomas D'Alessandro III was also mayor of Baltimore. She studied at Trinity College in Washington, DC, and began her political career in California as a Democrat volunteer. She served as Democrat National Committeewoman from California 1976–96 and was elected to the House of Representatives in 1986.