Rep. Ayanna Pressley | BernieCrats.com

Biography

Ayanna Pressley was born on February 3, 1974, in Cincinnati, Ohio, and grew up in Chicago, Illinois, where she attended the Francis W. Parker School. She moved to Boston to attend Boston University but left before completing her degree to begin her career in public service. She worked as a senior aide to Rep. Joseph P. Kennedy II and then to Sen. John Kerry for thirteen years, developing deep expertise in constituent services, policy, and community organizing.

In 2009, Pressley ran for Boston City Council, becoming the first Black woman ever elected to the council — a historic breakthrough in a city with a complex racial history. She served for nine years and became known for her focus on women's and children's issues, economic opportunity for low-income communities, and public safety reform. In 2018, she ran for the U.S. House of Representatives against 10-term incumbent Rep. Michael Capuano in the Democratic primary, defeating him by 17 points on the platform that 'change can't wait.'

Sworn in on January 3, 2019, Pressley became the first Black woman ever elected to Congress from Massachusetts. She joined the group that came to be known as 'the Squad' alongside Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, and Rashida Tlaib — four women of color who became a defining presence on the progressive left. She is a member of Justice Democrats and the Congressional Progressive Caucus, and serves on the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability.

Pressley is known for her signature headwraps, worn after she was diagnosed with alopecia areata — a hair loss condition — which she disclosed publicly in 2020 in a raw, widely watched video. She is married to Conan Harris and has a stepdaughter. She chose to run for a fifth term in 2026 rather than challenge Sen. Ed Markey, citing her daughter's final year at home and her district's needs during the Trump administration.

In Congress & 2026 Reelection

Pressley is running for her fifth term in Massachusetts' 7th Congressional District, which covers most of Boston including Roxbury, Mattapan, Hyde Park, Jamaica Plain, and parts of Cambridge and Somerville — one of the most diverse and progressive districts in New England. She faces no significant primary or general election opposition.

In the current Congress, Pressley has continued her signature work on criminal justice reform, introducing the Ending Qualified Immunity Act, championing legislation to reduce incarceration costs for families, and pushing for police accountability. She has been a vocal critic of the Trump administration's immigration enforcement, Israel's military operations in Gaza, and attacks on reproductive rights.

Pressley considered running for Senate in 2026 against incumbent Ed Markey but announced in late 2025 she would stay in the House. 'With our daughter in her last year at home before college and a district that has been in the crosshairs of this White House, I am certain that the Massachusetts 7th is where I belong in this moment,' she said. Polls had shown she would have been a formidable challenger, with Markey's support dropping 15 points when her name was included.