Name: Nancy Pelosi
Age: 66
Nationality: American
Claim to fame: The most powerful woman and Democrat in America

We are still a few years away from seeing a woman take over the White House but the first woman all set to take charge of the US House of Representative is here. Nancy Pelosi has become the most powerful woman in the US following the mid-term polls that saw the Republicans losing their lead in the Senate to the Democrats for the first time in 12 years. This would also mean that she would become second in line to succeed President George W Bush, after the vice-president, under the US constitution, when she becomes the Speaker of the House.

Pelosi, who’s been a House Minority Leader since 2002, is not a newcomer to politics. This mother of five has represented her district in San Francisco since 1987, and she made history last year by being elected to the number two spot in the party leadership. She also has a political family background to give her the added advantage. Hailing from a large Italian-American Catholic family who were one of the foremost political families of Baltimore, both her father and brother were mayors of Baltimore. So Nancy’s political education began at home from a young age.

Nancy was seriously thinking for following her family traditions and running for the mayor in 1987 when her local congresswoman fell ill and died. Ms Pelosi won the seat in a special election and having been re-elected nine times, she has remained in place since then.

Pelosi, a prolific fundraiser who has raised more for the Democrats in this mid-term election than almost anyone else, has her share of critics. The Republicans paint her as an unabashed West Coast liberal who will do everything that voters fear from the Democrats — raise taxes, help illegal immigrants and back same-sex marriage.

Pelosi’s voting record indicates support for gun control laws and restrictions, immigrant rights and she has strong ties with a number of Jewish groups. Like most Democrats, Pelosi opposed the war on Iraq and introduced a bill calling on Bush to specify a strategy for success in Iraq, as well as a timetable for the withdrawal of American troops. However, when compared to the Democrat’s other female bigwig Hillary Clinton, Pelosi has a low public profile and will have to improve her image for the American’s to trust and like her.

The Pelosi family has a net worth of over $25 million, mainly from her husband Paul Pelosi’s investments. Besides a large portfolio of jointly owned real estate in San Francisco Bay Area, he also has millions of dollars worth of shares in publicly traded companies. — S. M. Salman Yunus