Ayanna Pressley, Dem supported by Ocasio-Cortez, upsets Michael Capuano in the Massachusetts Primary House



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Boston city councilor Ayanna Pressley on Tuesday deposed US representative Michael Capuano in a first-ever Democrat Tuesday in the latest reshuffle of the House Democratic caucus by a far-left challenger.

Capuano conceded defeat to Pressley in the race to represent the 7th district of Massachusetts about 30 minutes before The Associated Press officially called the race. With 69% of reports late in the day on Tuesday, Pressley led with 10,682 votes.

Pressley, running unopposed in November, is expected to become the first African-American woman to be elected to the Commonwealth Congress.

Capuano is the fourth member of the House to have lost a primary this year, with representatives Robert Pittenger, RN; Mark Sanford, R-S.C., And another representative at 10 positions, Joe Crowley, D-N.Y.

The prospect of a Pressley upheaval had drawn some comparisons with the defeat of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez against Crowley in June. The Democratic Socialist New York had approved Pressley, just like Our Revolution, emanating from the 2016 presidential campaign of Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders.

However, unlike Crowley, Capuano had fiercely challenged the race in Massachusetts by accumulating confessions, participating in debates and highlighting his ever-liberal vote in one of the most democratic districts of a traditionally democratic state.

And unlike Ocasio-Cortez, a 28-year-old politician, Pressley, 44, has proven herself in the corridors of power in Massachusetts. She was the political director of the former secretary of the board of directors. State John Kerry when he was US Senator and became the first black woman elected to Boston City Council in 2009.

Boston City Councilor Ayanna Pressley celebrates victory over US Rep. Michael Capuano, D-Mass, at the Congressional 7th Democratic Primary on September 4, 2018, in Boston. (AP Photo / Steven Senne)

Ayanna Pressley celebrated her victory with supporters on Tuesday night.

(AP)

Welcoming voters at a polling booth in Boston earlier on Tuesday, Pressley spoke of "the earth moving beneath our feet and the wind behind our backs".

"It's a fight for the soul of our party and the future of our democracy," she told reporters. "It's a disruptive bid, a grassroots coalition – it's broad, diverse and deep, people from all walks of life."

Pressley supported Medicare-for-all and called for reimbursement for immigration and customs.

It was probably aided by demographic data from the 7th district, which cuts a north-south band across the city of Boston and includes parts of neighboring Chelsea, Everett, Randolph, Milton and Somerville where Capuano was mayor for nine years. 1990's

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State legislators have designated the district as the first Massachusetts majority district. One third of the population is white, blacks, Hispanics and Asians constituting a two-thirds majority.

However, Pressley had inherited the notion that running was a defining issue in his campaign.

"I've been really furious about the constant accusations against me about identity politics that, by the way, are just pressures on women and color candidates," she said in a debate. . "I am a black woman and I am very proud to be both, but it is not the whole of my identity."

The contest also created strong divisions between Boston's political elite and Democratic media. The mayor of the city, Marty Walsh, campaigned with Capuano in the final days of the race. US Representative Joseph Kennedy, a grandson of former Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, also backed the incumbent president, calling him "a guy who will not fear obstacles or hard truths".

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Pressley was supported by Attorney General of the State, Maura Healey, who has repeatedly challenged the Trump administration's policies on immigration, gun control and drug abuse. ;other questions. She was also approved by the Boston Globe, who called it "the future of the Democratic Party".

The last time a Democratic House member practicing in Massachusetts lost a primary in 2014, when Seth Moulton beat the former Rep. John Tierney, who brought important personal baggage to the countryside.

Fox News' Gregg Re, Chad Pergram and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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