Pelosi's pledge that this is her last term as speaker looms amid wave of Dem retirements

Eighteen House Democrats are taking a hike come January 2023, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s spot up top may be available for another Democrat if the party holds onto their razor-thin majority.

Pelosi, D-Calif., has yet to officially announce her decision for 2022 and beyond. Last year, she implicitly reaffirmed a 2018 promise that her current term would be the last one she would serve as speaker of the House.

PELOSI SEEMS TO SIGNAL THIS COULD BE HER LAST TERM AS SPEAKER

Pelosi's office did not respond to Fox News' inquiry on whether the speaker would stand by her promise.

The speaker said in 2018 that she would limit herself to two terms – or four years – as the top lawmaker in the House.

More recently, Pelosi has dodged questions about whether she will run for reelection. 

If Pelosi decides not to run in next year's election, she'll join a long list of Democrats who are bowing out ahead of what is projected to be a tough midterm election for their party. 

Rep. Thomas Suozzi, D-N.Y., this week became the 18th House Democrat to say he would not run for reelection in 2022. Suozzi is running for governor of New York instead. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Suozzi's move will likely embolden Republicans hoping to flip his congressional district from blue to red in next year’s midterm elections, where the GOP needs a net gain of just five seats to regain the chamber’s majority. 

The congressman was on the National Republican Congressional Committee’s (NRCC) list of most vulnerable Democrats heading into the midterms. 

Fox News' Paul Steinhauser contributed reporting