Nancy Pelosi

Nancy Pelosi is an influential American politician and the first woman to serve as the Speaker of the US House of Representatives. She was born in the 1940s into a politically active Italian-American family. Born and brought up in the Little Italian region of Baltimore, she was naturally inclined towards politics early in her life, learning the ropes from her father Thomas D'Alesandro Jr. He was an important Democrat leader from the city. However, she did not directly participate in politics in Baltimore. It was when she moved to San Francisco with her husband and children that she became a volunteer organizer for the Democratic Party, very soon earning a reputation as an effective fundraiser. Over the time, she rose through the ranks to become the Chairperson of California Democratic Party, also serving on the Democratic National Committee, before she was elected to the House of Representatives at the age of 47. She continues to hold her seat until now. In course of her tenure, she first became the House Minority Whip, then the House Minority Leader and finally, the Speaker of the House - all the while voting for issues like gun control and abortion rights. As the Speaker, she worked with Obama to pass the Health Care bill. Currently, she is serving as the House Minority Leader.