Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), has endorsed long time ally Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), for president of the United States, the New York Times reports.
“Elizabeth has made it her life’s work to pursue justice for working families and put economic and political power in the hands of people,” Pressley said in a statement Wednesday. “We find ourselves in a fight for the soul of our nation, and I know Elizabeth can win it.”
As ESSENCE previously reported, Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Ilhan Omar (D-Minn.), and Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), three-fourths of the freshmen congresswomen collective known as “The Squad,” have all endorsed Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-Vt.).
This is not Pressley’s first time breaking with “The Squad.” She also stood apart from her colleagues when she supported anti-BDS (Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions) legislation.
“I have seen Ms. Warren in small church basements and in packed gymnasiums,” Pressley said in the endorsement video, shared on Twitter. “And she is consistent. She never loses sight of the people.”
“You’ve all heard about the senator’s plans — but here’s the thing,” she added. “Her plans are about power: who has it, who refuses to let it go, and who deserves more of it.”
Warren, who wrote an op-Ed for ESSENCE this week on the importance of shutting down the school-to-prison pipeline, thanked Pressley for her support Wednesday afternoon, tweeting: “Power belongs in the hands of the people. I’m proud to fight alongside @AyannaPressley for the big, structural change that we need.”
In a recent Monmouth University poll, a full two-thirds of U.S. voters surveyed back one of the top three 2020 presidential candidates—former Vice President Joe Biden and Warren are each at 23 percent support, while Sanders is at 20 percent.
South Bend, Indiana, Mayor Pete Buttigieg is at 9%, Sen. Kamala Harris has 5%, and Sen. Cory Booker and Andrew Yang are at 3% each.