Guidance Will Be Missed, Says Watson Coleman As Pelosi Steps Down From Leadership Role

EAST BRUNSWICK, NJ — Rep. Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) said she will miss the “grace, presence, and guidance” of Nancy Pelosi, as the Speaker steps down from her role as House Democratic leader.

On Thursday Pelosi announced she will not seek a leadership role in the new Congress and will make way for a new generation of leaders. The Democrats lost control of the House in the midterm elections.

“Speaker Pelosi’s career in public service has been one of firsts, from serving as the first female Speaker of the House to becoming the first woman to reclaim the gavel after serving as leader of the Democratic minority,” Watson Coleman said.

The California Democrat has been in Congress for 35 years. Republican Kevin McCarthy won the party’s nomination for speaker and is likely to succeed Pelosi.

“For two decades, Speaker Pelosi has overcome obstacles to ensure that House Democrats deliver for the people. While her grace, presence, and guidance will be missed, I am grateful that she will continue serving the people of California’s 12th District and serve as a mentor for the next generation of House Democratic leadership,” Watson Coleman said.

The Congresswoman from NJ-12 noted that in just two years, Pelosi led the Democrats through consequential moments like the passage of the American Rescue Plan, the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and the Inflation Reduction Act.

“She did this with only a narrow majority, all while facing down a global pandemic, the subsequent economic hardships, and a wave of anti-democratic sentiment that culminated in a violent insurrection at the Capitol,” Watson Coleman said.

A pivotal figure in American politics, Pelosi will serve as speaker until January 2023 when a new Congress takes over. She first became speaker in 2007 after the Democrats swept the 2007 midterm elections.

“I will not seek reelection to Democratic leadership in the next Congress. The hour has come for a new generation to lead the Democratic caucus that I so deeply respect,” Pelosi said Thursday, as she received a standing ovation after her remarks.

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