Pressley wasn’t only big winner Tuesday
There were many winners up front and behind the scenes in the race for the 7th Congressional District seat that supported and fueled Ayanna Pressley’s win Tuesday.
1. Black women. The sistahs are on a roll, sweeping elections locally and nationally. The journey is never easy, thanks to the race and gender dynamics always at play. Stacey Abrams became the first African-American woman gubernatorial nominee in Georgia; closer to home, Jahana Hayes, 2016 National Teacher of the Year, could be the first AfricanAmerican woman congresswoman representing Connecticut. Gaining political advantage is often about timing and motivation. This is definitely the Year of the Black Woman — and about time.
2. African-Americans, Hispanic Americans and AsianAmericans proved a winning coalition. Often criticized for abysmally low voter turnout, it was anticipated the turnout would be even more anemic because of the election date change. Not this time. Lessons were learned from the 2016 presidential election. The common denominator in this election was working for self-empowerment. This coalition powered wins not just for Pressley but for New York’s Alexandria OcasioCortez and Florida’s Andrew Gillum.
3. A robust district attorney race. The DA’s race contributed greatly to the turnout and greater involvement by millennials. Rachael Rollins rolled to victory, thwarting conventional wisdom that too many women and people of color in the race might split the vote so neither a woman nor a person of color would win. Check both boxes for Rachael — marking the first time a woman of color could hold that office.
And what about powerhouse Nika Elugardo, who also turned conventional wisdom on its head, beating back a long-held belief that low voter turnout generally favors the incumbent, claiming victory in the 15th Suffolk District. A shoutout to my girl Liz Miranda, who takes over the 5th District seat held by Evandro Carvalho, who did surprisingly well in the DA’s race.
4. U-N-I-T-Y isn’t just a song by Queen Latifah. Strength in numbers and a coalition between minorities and whites and women of all socioeconomic strata, embracing a common theme of fairness and equity, carried the day.
5. The majority of women of color Boston City Council — Annissa Essaibi George, former council president Michelle Wu and Roxbury’s Kim Janey, the first woman to represent Roxbury’s District 7. Four of the historymaking six supported Pressley.
6. Attorney General Maura Healey. She was once in the same boat as Pressley, swimming against the tide instead of waiting her turn. In the end, they swam together to victory. Kudos to Sens. Liz Warren and Ed Markey and U.S. Rep. Seth Moulton, who stayed out and allowed fair play.
7. Voters of 7th District, take a bow. Minorities and white voters came together for change.
8. Grassroots endorsers and elected officials throughout the district. They accounted for thousands of foot soldiers. IBEW Local 103, one of the first unions to step up, ran pictures of Pressley on its digital billboard overlooking the expressway and ran ads on the OWN network.
9. Movement-building millennials. They and independents are often a turnout question mark in elections. Not the case in this race. Kudos to superstar millennials Wilnelia Rivera, Tracey Lewis, Josiane Martinez and the crew at Archipelago Strategies Group. Sarah Groh, Luisa Pena Lyons, Gina Christo and Erina Colombo, Deliver Strategies and spot-on digital from Veracity, and spinmasters Alex Goldstein, Harry Shipps and Ryan Hand.
9. Conan Harris. Pressley’s husband was everywhere — as field utility, top lieutenant and adviser to the candidate. You couldn’t go anywhere in the district without seeing signs, thanks to Conan’s crew.
10. A kitchen cabinet that “cooked.” The Rev. Liz Walker had a feeling this was going to be a monumental win and prayed on it. Girl after my own heart. Around her kitchen table were leaders like Jackie Jenkins-Scott, Colette Phillips, Jacquetta Van Zandt and Richard Taylor. Bennie Wiley, Alfreda Harris and the Rev. Mariama White-Hammond.
This was a campaign that heralded a new way for a new day.