MA-07: Pressley trying to be 1st Black woman from Mass. in Congress
BOSTON (AP) — Ayanna Pressley is attempting one of toughest political feats in Massachusetts — persuading Democratic voters to reject a long-time incumbent during a primary.
Making the task even more difficult? Pressley has acknowledged she’d likely vote much the same way as incumbent U.S. Rep. Michael Capuano.
The race has drawn comparisons to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s defeat of 10-term New York Rep. Joe Crowley in a Democratic primary in June. Pressley — who would become the first Black woman elected to Congress from Massachusetts — counts Ocasio-Cortez a friend.
There are big differences between the campaigns.
Ocasio-Cortez is a 28-year-old political novice, while Pressley is a 44-year-old veteran of the Democratic Party. She served as former Secretary of State John Kerry’s political director when he was a U.S. senator and became the first Black woman elected to the Boston City Council in 2009.
“Our campaign is meeting head-on the challenge and the charge that we were given as Democrats coming out of 2016, and that is to ignite the electorate and to expand it,” Pressley said.
Another difference is that Capuano isn’t taking Pressley’s challenge lightly. The 66-year-old has been campaigning hard, reeling in endorsements and pointing to a 20-year-record he said shows he’s championed the priorities of one of the state’s most liberal districts.
“Right now, we’re in the fight of our lives with Donald Trump. I think I’ve proven over many years that I’m an effective fighter for the issues that the district wants — social security, Medicare, housing,” said Capuano, listing groups that have given him a 100 percent rating, including the American Civil Liberties Union, the NAACP, the ALF-CIO and Planned Parenthood.
https://newpittsburghcourieronline.com/2018/08/31/pressley-trying-to-be-1st-black-woman-from-mass-in-congress/
