Ayanna Pressley To Challenge Rep. Capuano In 2018

WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Congressman Michael Capuano will face a challenger in 2018. Boston City Councilor Ayanna Pressley announced her candidacy for the Democratic nomination in Massachusetts' 7th Congressional District Tuesday, giving Capuano his first primary opponent in two decades.

Pressley, 43, became the first woman of color elected to the Boston City Council in 2009. A resident of Dorchester, she previously worked for U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy II and U.S. Sen. John Kerry. Pressley said the district needs a congressperson who will be "more than an ally" and will be "an advocate and a champion."

"Our country is facing a critical moment. While the cruel and dangerous tenor of the national political debate is new, the issues we are struggling to address - income inequality, systemic racism, and lack of economic opportunity - have dogged our nation for years. We have not yet delivered on our nation’s foundational promise of equality," Pressley said in the statement. "Not everyone is granted the opportunity each of us deserves to fulfill our God-given potential. Making progress on longstanding challenges requires a different lens and a new approach. I will be a bold voice in Congress, as an advocate for the entire district and as a champion for opportunity."

Capuano, 65, represents Somerville, Chelsea, Everett, Randolph, half of Cambridge, parts of Milton and much of Boston. The former Somerville mayor and alderman was first elected to congress in 1998.

State House News Service contributed to this report.

Photo: File/SHNS