Nancy Pelosi prided herself on cold calculation

At the time, Pelosi was little known to San Francisco voters. But she was already a fixture in national politics. She was a major Democratic fundraiser who helped lure the party’s 1984 national convention to her adopted home town

- Mark Z. Barabak, Tribune News Service

Nancy Pelosi, Speaker Emerita, US House of Representatives, speaks onstage during the 2023 Concordia Annual Summit at Sheraton New York Times Square, in New York City.

(File/Tribune News Service)

W hen Nancy Pelosi first ran for Congress, she was one of l4 candidates, the front-runner and a target. At the time, Pelosi was little known to San Francisco voters. But she was already a fixture in national politics. she was amajor Democratic fundraiser who helped lure the party's 1984 national convention to her adopted hometown. She served as head of California's Democratic Party and hosted a salon that was a must-stop for any politician passing through. She was the chosen successor of Rep. Sala Burton, a short-timer who took over the House seat held for decades by her late husband, Philip, and who delivered a personal benediction from her deathbed. But at age 47, Pelosi had never held public office — she was too busy raising five kids, on top of all that political moving and shaking — and opponents made light of her role as hostess. “The party girl for the party,” they dubbed her, a taunt that blared from billboards around town.