House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, (D-Calif.), announced on Tuesday she plans to run for reelection in the 2022 midterms but did not specify whether or not she plans to keep her party’s leadership position as Republicans look to take back the House.

“I am running for re-election to Congress and respectfully seek your support,” Pelosi said in a video as she stressed more progress needs to be done to improve people’s lives, telling her constituents the upcoming election is “crucial.”

“Our democracy is at risk because of the assault on the truth, assault on the U.S. Capitol, and the state-by-state assault on voting rights,” she added.

When Pelosi was elected speaker for the second time in her career in 2019 she said she would serve as speaker for two more terms. Pelosi, 81, became the first female speaker of the House in 2007 and was the first House Speaker to hold the position twice. Pelosi also served as House Minority leader from 2011 to 2019.

There has been much speculation over who will replace Pelosi as House leader if she chose to step down from her position. Republicans are expected to make large gains in the upcoming election and 29 Democrats are expected to retire from Congress along with 13 Republicans.

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, (D-N.Y.), has been considered one of the front-runners for a leadership position. Jeffries, 51, is currently serving as chairman of the Democratic caucus and previously served as co-chair from 2017 to 2019.

“Hakeem is really good at taking in both ideas but also criticism, and not being defensive about it,” Rep. Katherine Clark, (D-Mass.), told the Atlantic.

Democrats currently hold a House majority of 222 seats to 212 Republican seats. Historical trends dictate the minority party will win back the House as they did in 2018, 2010, and 1994.

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