Ayanna Pressley Defeats Rep. Mike Capuano In Democratic Primary
BOSTON (AP/CBS) — In a political stunner, incumbent Democratic U.S. Rep. Michael Capuano lost Tuesday's primary to Ayanna Pressley, a Boston city councilor who is virtually assured of becoming the first black woman to serve Massachusetts in Congress.
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The 44-year-old's upset over a 10-term incumbent congressman underscores the shift underway in a Democratic Party whose base is seeking younger, more diverse candidates who embrace progressive policies. Her victory comes just two months after Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez similarly defeated a top House leader in a primary for a New York congressional seat.
Pressley is now on track to represent an area of Massachusetts once served by Democratic icons Tip O'Neill and John F. Kennedy.
"Change is coming and the future belongs to all of us," Pressley told wildly cheering supporters Tuesday night.
WATCH: Pressley Addresses Supporters
"To the many families like my own, we grew up feeling like it was us versus the world that government didn't reflect us, didn't represent us, didn't advocate us, didn't see us, change can't wait," Pressley said.
A subdued Capuano told supporters he did everything he could to win re-election.
"Apparently the district just is very upset with lots of things that are going on. I don't blame them. I'm just as upset as they are, but so be it. This is the way life goes," he said.
The race between Capuano and Pressley was perhaps the most closely watched contest in Massachusetts. The challenge from Pressley, the first black woman to serve on the council, had drawn some comparisons to Ocasio-Cortez, who defeated 10-term New York Rep. Joe Crowley in a stunning upset in a Democratic primary in June. Both races highlight rifts within the Democratic Party, with many younger voters embracing new and more diverse political leadership.
Watch: Keller On Pressley's Stunning Upset
WBZ political analyst Jon Keller says Capuano campaigned hard and didn't necessarily do anything wrong. "The Democratic establishment Capuano represents has seen the White House and the Congress and the Supreme Court all slip away in recent years, putting a scare and a charge into precisely the constituencies, people of color, women, younger voters that Pressley was courting," Keller said Tuesday night.
Capuano told supporters he is sorry it didn't work out, but America is going to be OK. "Ayanna Pressley is going to be a good congresswoman and I will tell you Massachusetts will be well served," Capuano said.
The congressional district is the only one in the state where minorities comprise a majority of the population.
"This is a fight for the soul of our party and the future of our democracy," Pressley said Tuesday while campaigning in the district. "And a reliable vote is not good enough."
Capuano is considered one of the most liberal members of the Massachusetts delegation, and Pressley had acknowledged she had few major policy quarrels with him.
There is no Republican on the November ballot in the district, meaning Pressley is virtually assured of entering Congress in January.
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
