Washington, Nov. 7 -- Nancy Pelosi, America's first and only female House Speaker, announced she will not seek reelection after 38 years, marking a historic end to her San Francisco congressional career.

"I say to my colleagues in the House all of the time, no matter what title they had bestowed upon me - speaker, leader, whip - there has been no greater honor for me than to stand on the House floor and say, 'I speak for the people of San Francisco.' I have truly loved serving as your voice in Congress," the 85-year-old said, adding that she will not be seeking reelection to Congress.

Pelosi was first elected to Congress in 1987 and became the House's first-ever female speaker in 2007. Till now, she is the only woman to have yielded the...