The Story:
On Tuesday, September 4, the Democratic Party’s primary voters nominated Ayanna Pressley to represent Massachusetts’ 7th Congressional District in the US House of Representatives. This means the departure from Congress of a veteran, Michael Capuano, a progressive lawmaker long thought to have a safe seat.
Background:
As upsets go, this was a stunner. Capuano has been in Congress for ten terms and is the senior member of his party on the housing and insurance subcommittee of the financial services committee in the House. Had he won re-election this year, and had the Democrats won the House majority, he would have been the likely next chair of that important subcommittee.
There was never a lot of distance between Pressley and Capuano on issues. But Pressley, the first woman of color ever to serve on the Boston City Council, has benefited from the anti-incumbent mood of the day, and from some high profile endorsements.
The Thing to Know:
Having won the primary Ms Pressley is nearly certain to become a Congresswoman. The 7th is a very heavily Democratic district and the Republican Party has not even nominated a candidate for it.
