MoveOn is proud to endorse Rep. Ayanna Pressley for reelection in Massachusetts’s 7th Congressional District!

Leadership and Experience

An advocate, a policymaker, an activist, and a survivor, Ayanna Pressley has dedicated her career to fighting for justice and healing. Raised by a single mother who worked as a tenants’ rights organizer, Ayanna learned early on the power of civic engagement and community activism. She began her professional career in public service as a senior aide to Congressman Joseph P. Kennedy II and later spent 13 years working for Senator John Kerry in various critical roles, including constituency director and political director.

In 2009, Ayanna launched a historic at-large campaign for the Boston City Council and won, becoming the first woman of color elected to the Council in its 100-year history. During her eight-year tenure on the council, she championed initiatives to reduce gun violence, reform school disciplinary policies, and successfully push for localized economic development. In 2018, she made history once again when she was elected to represent Massachusetts’ 7th Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives—becoming the first woman of color to represent the Commonwealth in Congress. Guided by the core belief that “the people closest to the pain should be closest to the power,” she continues to bring a bold, activist leadership style to Washington.

How she’ll help your community:

• Housing as a Human Right: Believing deeply in housing justice, Ayanna fights for federal policy that expands affordable housing, protects tenants’ rights, and treats stable housing as a fundamental human right rather than a privilege.

• Fighting for a Just Economy: Ayanna is committed to fair compensation and building an economic system that works for working families. In Congress, she has introduced legislation to protect low-wage workers and consistently advocates for transformative policies like student loan cancellation.

• Confronting the Climate Crisis: Recognizing the unequal impact of environmental degradation on marginalized neighborhoods, Ayanna advocates for bold climate justice initiatives aimed at rapidly transitioning to a clean energy economy while securing investments for local community health.

• Transforming Our Criminal Legal System: Rooted in her own lived experiences, Ayanna champions a fundamental reimagining of the justice system. She actively pushes for legislation that addresses systemic inequities, stops the school-to-prison pipeline, and shifts focus toward holistic healing and equity.

Her position on key issues

• Healthcare for All: Ayanna is a strong supporter of Medicare for All and is dedicated to tackling entrenched healthcare disparities to ensure high-quality care is accessible to every community.

• A Just and Humane Immigration System: Grounded in compassion and equity, Ayanna champions justice for immigrants, advocating for systemic reforms that treat all neighbors with dignity.

• Foreign Policy Centered on Empathy: She advocates for an American foreign policy built around international cooperation, global peacemaking, empathy, and the unwavering pursuit of human rights.

• Addressing the Impact of Violence and Trauma: From her time on the City Council to her work in the House, Ayanna fights to create robust, culturally competent policies that address the systemic trauma and impacts of violence facing our communities.

To learn more about Ayanna, visit her website: https://ayannapressley.com