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."
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