Ayanna Pressley just beat out 10-term congressman Michael Capuano in Massachusetts' primary and she's well on her way to becoming the first black congresswoman from Massachusetts. Get the deets on her "surreal" win, plus why Andrew Gillum isn't backing down from Trump inside....
Politics is starting to look a little different in 2018. More black. More feminine. Two things we all can appreciate. It looks like the days when old white men would make all the decisions are slowly progressing and we couldn't be more happy about it, especially with this win in Massachusetts.
Boston City Councilor Ayanna Pressley is shaking things up! She just won the Democratic nomination for the the Massachusetts 7th Congressional District in the Democratic Primary, beating out 10-term incumbent Massachusetts Congressman Michael Capuano with 59% of votes! She was considered the underdog as her opponent seemed to have the money and the loyalty of a popular incumbent. But, it didn't matter.
It's a historic win that's going down in the history books.
Together, we won. What our campaign accomplished last night isn't our victory alone. It was for every person who has been left out and left behind or told change would never come. Together, we are powerful. And we're just getting started. #changecantwait#changeisonthewaypic.twitter.com/hq0fbtnrGs
— Ayanna Pressley (@AyannaPressley) September 6, 2018
If elected in November, Pressley will become the first black congresswoman from Massachusetts. Read that again. If she wins in November, she'll become the first black congresswoman from Massachusetts!
The 44-year-old ran as an unapologetic liberal, calling for the impeachment of President Donald Trump and the abolishing of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
"It's not enough for Democrats to be back in power," she said during her election night celebration. "It matters who those Democrats are." Straight facts. Pressley called the win a “surreal, full-circle moment.”
"You invited us into your kitchens, living rooms. We listened," Pressley said. "We are working toward a democracy that is truly representative."
Watch her celebratory speech above.
Pressley's election to the Boston City Council in 2009 marked the first time a woman of color was elected to the Council in its 100-year history. This laid the foundation for Ayanna’s groundbreaking work, with which she has consistently strived to improve the lives of people that have too often been left behind.
Women of color are demanding political power...and winning. She joins the ranks of candidates of color and women who have been killing it in the political races this year. A number of black women have won their primaries this year, including Stacey Abrams, who's running for governor in Georgia, Lauren Underwood, running for a congressional seat in Illinois, and Jahana Hayes, who's also running for a seat in Congress from Connecticut.
Another liberal woman of color, Democratic Socialist Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, also caused a major upset when she defeated Rep. Joe Crowley in New York’s 14th District back in June. Ocasio-Cortez congratulated her "sister in service" Ayanna Pressley on the big win, tweeting:
Congratulations to my sister in service, @AyannaPressley, on continuing her historic path into Congress tonight.
Let’s push together to make Medicare for All, tuition free college, & living wages a reality in America - all without corporate PAC money. https://t.co/o2SbtUkByS
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Ocasio2018) September 5, 2018
This photo was taken months ago.
.@AyannaPressley + I bonded over running while constantly told it’s “not our turn,” that we “weren’t ready,” “good enough,” or “experienced” enough.
We kept going anyway.
In June, I won my primary. Tonight, she won hers.
Here’s to November. pic.twitter.com/4Xf8AnTMUQ
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Ocasio2018) September 5, 2018
Women of color have been underrepresented in politics since forever and we're SO glad things are finally starting to change! "Change Can't Wait!"
And we'd just like to leave this here:
I would like to point out that @staceyabrams won her primary with natural hair and @AyannaPressley while wearing Senegalese Twists (also my preferred hairstyle of choice). So let's stop policing the hair of Black women when they run for office, okay? pic.twitter.com/O9LHgftmVP
— A'shanti F. Gholar (@AshantiGholar) September 5, 2018
In other political news...
Right after Florida Democrat Andrew Gillum won gubernatorial primary (defeating former Rep. Gwen Graham and several other candidates), Trump is already after him. However, he's not backing down.
If the 39-year-old Tallahassee mayor is elected in November, he would become Florida's first black governor. Woot!
After Gillum's historic win, Trump got his Twitter fingers to work, calling Gillum "a failed Socialist mayor" and the "biggest dream" opponent for DeSantis. He also made claims that Gillum allowed "crime & many other problems to flourish in his city," and that he's not what Florida needs.
Not only did Congressman Ron DeSantis easily win the Republican Primary, but his opponent in November is his biggest dream....a failed Socialist Mayor named Andrew Gillum who has allowed crime & many other problems to flourish in his city. This is not what Florida wants or needs!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) August 29, 2018
Well, Gillum isn't going to be bullied and he wants Trump to know that he's up for the challenge.
"This president gets off on intimating and pushing people around, but I want him to know he has met his match," he told CNN. Let them know!
Peep the clip below:
By the way, Republican Rep. Ron DeSantis, who won the GOP primary with Trump's endorsement, made a racist comment about Gillum on Fox News after his appearance. DeSantis said, "The last thing we need to do is to monkey this up by trying to embrace a socialist agenda with huge tax increases and bankrupting the state."
SMH! Really?
Mr. Gillum also responded to his opponent DeSantis' "monkey" comments in the clips below:
“I believe that Florida and its rich diversity are going to be looking for a governor who’s going to bring us together. Not divide us. Not misogynists. Not racists,” Andrew Gillum said after Ron DeSantis warned Floridians not to “monkey this up” by voting for his black opponent. pic.twitter.com/UogaVORFWG
— POLITICO (@politico) August 29, 2018
We need you all in Florida to ROCK the vote this November!
Photos:Ayanna's Website/Andrew's FB
