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Progressive Ayanna Pressley pulled off a stunning upset against the Democratic incumbent in Massachusetts’ 7th Congressional District Tuesday — and immediately trained her fire on Donald Trump, calling him ”a racist, misogynistic, truly empathy-bankrupt man.”Pressley beat 10-term Rep. Michael Capuano, and with no Republican on November’s ballot, the Boston City Council member is set to become the state’s first ever black congresswoman.
Cover image: Ayanna Pressley, Boston City Councilwomen and House Democratic candidate, gives a victory speech at her primary night gathering after her opponent Mike Capuano conceded on September 4, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Scott Eisen/Getty Images)
Capuano conceded with just 12 percent of the vote in, saying the voters in the state's majority-minority district "clearly wanted a lot of change."Building on the momentum of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s victory unseating 10-term Democratic incumbent Joseph Crowley in New York in June, Pressley ran a progressive campaign that included calls for Medicare-for-all, tuition-free college, and a living wage.READ: Why the GOP is so obsessed with Alexandria Ocasio-CortezYet unlike unlike Ocasio-Cortez, 44-year-old Pressley is an established political figure in Massachusetts, having served as a senior aide to former Sen. John Kerry and interned for former Sen. Ted Kennedy’s office.What made the win more unexpected was that her opponent, Capuano, is a progressive himself, who supports Medicare-for-all, has frequently attacked Trump on Twitter, and is a member of the House Congressional Progressive Caucus.An August poll had Pressley trailing Capuano by 13 points.
Addressing supporters after her win, Pressley said: “Our president is a racist, misogynistic, truly empathy-bankrupt man. It is time to show Washington, D.C., both my fellow Democrats, who I hope will stand with us, and Republicans, who may stand in our way, that change is coming and the future belongs to all of us.”