Candidate name: Ayanna Pressley
State: Massachusetts
Bio: As the only child of an activist mother, Ayanna Pressley witnessed firsthand the power of civic engagement to uplift their Chicago community. Pressley was a senior aide for Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II and later for Sen. John Kerry. In 2009 she was elected to the Boston City Council, becoming the first woman of color in its 100-year history. She received the EMILY’s List Gabby Giffords Rising Star Award in 2015 and was named one of The New York Times’ 14 Young Democrats to Watch in 2016.
Today the advocate, activist and policymaker is ready to serve in Congress. She ousted a longtime incumbent in a tough Democratic primary; she has no opponent in November’s general election. Pressley will be the first Black woman to represent Massachusetts in Congress. Her priorities include stabilizing families and communities, eradicating poverty, and empowering women and girls. She’s spoken of being a survivor of sexual assault. Rosa Pac and Higher Heights for America PAC—both of which help elect Black women and women of color—have endorsed her.
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