Photo: Getty
They have been married for 56 years.
By Rebekah Kuschmider — Written on Feb 06, 2020
When the history of the twenty-first century is written, Representative Nancy Pelosi will have a prominent place. After winning her first election to Congress at the age of 47, she rose through party leadership and eventually became the first woman ever to hold the title of Speaker of the House in 2007. She was re-elected to that leadership position in 2019.
She spearheaded the impeachment investigations into Donald Trump in 2019, coming under endless Twitter-fire from Trump as he railed against her scrutiny of his actions in office.
But in addition to being the highest-ranking female politician in America, Pelosi is a wife and mother of five. She and her husband Paul have been married since 1963 and he has always been her biggest supporter.
Paul Pelosi stays out of the glare of the Washington spotlight, spending most of his time at their home in California so he isn't a particularly visible political spouse. But he and his wife have a long history together, separate from her place in history as a politician.
Who is Nancy Pelosi's husband?
1. Who Is Nancy Pelosi's husband, Paul Pelosi?
Paul Pelosi was born in San Francisco in 1940 and grew up there. He headed east for college and went to Georgetown University where he got his bachelor's degree and also met his wife.
After college, he headed to NYU for his MBA. Professionally, he has worked mainly in investing. He currently runs a venture capital firm called Financial Leasing Services.
2. What's Nancy Pelosi's background?
Nancy Pelosi was born Nancy D'Alesandro in 1940. She is a Baltimore native and part of a legendary political family in the state of Maryland. Her father Thomas D'Alesandro Jr. was a Democratic Congressman from Maryland and he became Mayor of Baltimore seven years later. Her mother, also known as Nancy, was an active political organizer.
The future Speaker is the youngest of seven children and isn't the only one to go into politics. Her brother, Thomas D'Alesandro III, was also Mayor of Baltimore, following in their father's footsteps.
3. The couple met in college.
Nancy Pelosi attended Trinity College in Washington, D.C. at the same time her future husband was attending Georgetown University and that's when they met. They married in 1963 and moved to San Francisco in 1969 after living in New York while Paul attended graduate school.
Once they settled on the West Coast, Nancy spent years raising their five children and staying active in local Democratic Party activities, eventually rising to be chair of the California Democratic Party. By 1987, she made the decision to run for election herself, and mounted in a special election to replace a Member of Congress who had passed away.
Pelosi on a visit to Tiannamen Square.
4. Paul Pelosi is not a Washington spouse.
Because Paul Pelosi's career is based in San Francisco, he has never relocated to D.C. himself. From the beginning of her political career in 1987, she made a point of keeping her work separate from him, telling reporters at the time, "I think one of the reasons why we have a good working relationship is that I try not to make too many demands on Paul's time as far as the political stuff is concerned."
But that doesn't mean hasn't been a part of her campaigns. He is active doing events and raising money back home in San Francisco. Campaign staff in 2007 noted that "In terms of San Francisco, he and Nancy are interchangeable. He's there at so many events. If he's in the room, it's about like Nancy is in the room. He's a very effective surrogate."
Even though he's happy to help out, he seems content to be the man behind the woman. "I've made a conscious effort to not be involved or give the appearance of being involved in her political career," he said in 2004. "People should realize that she's the one."
5. They have an enormous net worth, mostly through his work as an investor.
Pelosi is considered a far-left politician and has spent much of her career championing causes that benefit the middle and working classes, such as access to health care and social safety net protections.
However, the Pelosi family is incredibly wealthy. Paul's investment business has netted the couple a personal fortune that has been estimated in the tens of millions. They even own a winery in Napa Valley.
6. No, he does not pick out her clothes.
One of the best Washington rumors is that Paul Pelosi picks out his wife's outfits. No one can deny that Madame Speaker is always dressed impeccably, usually picking suits with clean lines, accentuated with statement necklaces.
Lately, she has worn a lapel pin of the Mace of the Republic, the symbol of the House Speaker's office. In addition to being a stunning piece of jewelry, it's a shining, gold reminder that she is the second in line to the Presidency, after the Vice President.
While it's fun to think about Paul handing his wife a perfectly-curated outfit to each day, it turns out that isn't true. But she doesn't use a professional stylist, either. According to sources close to the Democratic leader, she does her own shopping, choosing stores like Bergdorf or a boutique in Alexandria, VA just outside Washington DC.
Pelosi wears the Mace of the Republic brooch.
Rebekah Kuschmider has been writing about celebrities, pop culture, entertainment, and politics since 2010. She is the creator of the blog FeminXer and she is a cohost of the weekly podcast The More Perfect Union.