"I don't see that at all," Kingston said in an interview yesterday, adding that he thinks Pelosi lacks the vision to keep the disparate wings of her party together and push for bold legislative proposals. "Nancy Pelosi's going to have a real tough time holding that crew together."

House Democrats have identified six modest, politically popular measures they hope to pass within the first 100 days of the next Congress. These proposals include raising the minimum wage, making college tuition tax-deductible and implementing the Sept. 11 commission's recommendations such as making a "maximum effort" to keep nuclear material out of terrorists' hands.

But Democrats will face more challenges once they dispense with those bills, including how to deal with the war in Iraq, reduce the nation's massive budget deficit and impose stricter ethics rules on lawmakers. Pelosi will also have to decide whether to give plum committee spots to first-term lawmakers or reserve them for more senior members, and whom to place at the top of key panels such as the Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence.

Pelosi is no stranger to national politics, having served in the House for nearly two decades and grown up in a well-known Maryland political family. Her father, Thomas D'Alesandro Jr., served in the House and then was mayor of Baltimore for a dozen years. Later, her brother, Thomas J. D'Alesandro III, also became Baltimore mayor.

Even as she has climbed the leadership ladder, however, Pelosi has been attentive to domestic matters such as caring for her five grandchildren. Her sixth could be born at any moment: Pelosi's daughter Alexandra was due to give birth last week, and the congresswoman made it clear she would leave Washington as soon as labor began, even if it started on election night.

Nine years ago, Rep. Nita M. Lowey (D-N.Y.) flew back and forth between the District and Manhattan twice when her daughter Dana gave birth, and she said she's not surprised that Pelosi is prepared to do the same for her daughter. "Women are used to multi-tasking," she said.

Staff researcher Julie Tate contributed to this report.