Democrat Ayanna Pressley wins House race in Boston

Democrat Ayanna Pressley won an uncontested race to represent a deep-blue district in the Boston area, after defeating a veteran Congressman in her primary two months ago.

Pressley, the first woman of color ever elected to the Boston City Council, is now the first black woman ever elected to Congress from Massachusetts.

She made national headlines when she toppled veteran Rep. Mike Capuano (D-Mass.) in the state’s primary race in September.  

{mosads}Her primary victory in Massachusetts’s 7th District drew comparisons to Democrat Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a 28-year-old Latina and self-described democratic socialist, who defeated Rep. Joseph Crowley (D) in a New York primary that stunned the political world.

Pressley, 44, ran on a fiercely progressive platform, including rejecting corporate PAC money, abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement and supporting “Medicare for all.”

She also made the argument that she was a better fit to represent the liberal district, which has grown increasingly diverse over the years and was once represented by former President John F. Kennedy.

Pressley has been involved in Boston politics for years, and served as a surrogate for Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton in the 2016 presidential election.

The Chicago native openly talks about overcoming hardships, from suffering sexual assault to being raised by a single mother who was a community activist and passed away from leukemia.

Updated at 8:22 p.m.