Boston city councilor Ayanna Pressley unseats Democratic Rep. Michael Capuano in primary upset

Ayanna Pressley wins Massachusetts Democratic House primary

(Image credit: Joseph Prezioso/AFP/Getty Images)

published 5 September 2018

Ayanna Pressley, a 44-year-old Boston city councilor and former Capitol Hill staffer, unseated 10-term Rep. Michael Capuano (D) in Tuesday's Massachusetts Democratic primary. Pressley's upset win, 59 percent to 41 percent, all but ensures that she will become the first black woman to represent Massachusetts, or any part of New England, in Congress; Republicans did not field a candidate in the solidly blue 7th Congressional District.

Pressley ran to Capuano's left on some issues, like abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and restoring voting rights to felons, but Capuano has one of the most liberal voting records in the House, especially on war and defense spending. "Clearly, the district wanted a lot of change," Capuano told supporters Tuesday night. "Ayanna Pressley is going to be a good congresswoman." Pressley told supporters that "change is coming and the future belongs to all of us."

Capuano, 66, is the second Democrat and fourth incumbent House member unseated in a primary this election cycle, and his defeat is being compared to longtime Rep. Joseph Crowley (D-N.Y.)'s loss to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who backed Pressley in the race. The 7th District is the only majority-minority district in Massachusetts. Two other Massachusetts Democratic congressmen, Stephen Lynch and Richard Neal, handily fended off challenges Tuesday from female candidates running to their left.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Explore More

Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.

Subscribe to The Week

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox