She has been elected to U.S house of representatives since 1987

Continuing the list of major accomplishments of Nancy Pelosi, she has been elected to the U.S house of representatives since 1987. By the early 1980s, Nancy Pelosi's fundraising skills, work inside the Democratic Party, and connection with Congressman Phillip Burton and his wife Sara had established her as a trusted Democrat. Sala Burton was elected to fill Phillip Burton's term after his untimely death in June 1983. Sala, however, became ill with cancer in late 1986 and chose Pelosi as her designated successor, ensuring her the support of the Burtons' contacts.

After Sala died on February 1, 1987, Nancy Pelosi narrowly defeated San Francisco supervisor Harry Britt in a Special Election on April 7, 1987, with 36 percent of the vote to his 32 percent. On June 2, 1987, she defeated Republican rival Harriet Ross by more than a 2:1 margin in the ensuing run-off, gaining her a seat in the House of Representatives for the first time. Pelosi won the Regular Election again in 1988, and she was re-elected 16 times with no significant opposition, winning with an average of 80% of the vote. She began her 17th term in the House in 2019, at the age of 79.