Change on way with Pressley
Ayanna Pressley never stopped. She plunged into a Democratic primary against an entrenched incumbent and knew she would face long odds. She stared down the power brokers of her party even as Mayor Marty Walsh and former Gov. Deval Patrick lined up against her.
Pressley never stopped. She declared, “Change can’t wait.” And it didn’t.
Her victory made history as she is poised to become the first black congresswoman from Massachusetts, just as she entered the record books as the first black woman elected to the Boston City Council.
But her clear victory in the primary election was about more than that. It was about bold ideas, a new approach that will infuse the delegation with much needed energy and creativity. We differ from Pressley on a wide variety of issues — but she won our endorsement because of her leadership and shake-things-up style, and we will all benefit from that.
This wasn’t about Mike Capuano. He served with distinction for two decades. It was about voters who wanted someone new. They wanted a leader with a different style, with deep roots in the community, with a powerful voice and with the courage and resolve to challenge the power structure and work to fix things whether the issue is health care, education, violence or jobs.
We may not agree on the solution but we can get behind a robust, smart and civil discourse to get there.
At just 44 years old, Pressley has caught the attention of the nation. That’s a lot of influence and leverage. “Ours was truly a people-power, grassroots campaign, launched just 195 days ago that dared to do what Massachusetts Democrats aren’t supposed to do,” she told supporters.
As she prepares to represent the Massachusetts 7th Congressional District, her focus should be on building coalitions and unlikely alliances, showing that she can be effective for all who live in her district and beyond.
Ayanna Pressley’s historic, inspiring victory belongs to all of us now and will serve as a model for anyone with a dream considered too big to come true.