Ayanna Pressley

Democrat Representative of Massachusetts's 7th district

  • Representative

    Massachusetts, district 7

    January 3, 2023 - January 3, 2025

3

Congresses Served

3

House Terms

February 3, 1974 (50 years old)

Birthday

  • Served as the U.S. representative for Massachusetts’s 7th congressional district since 2019, which includes a significant portion of Boston and surrounding areas.
  • First black woman elected to the Boston City Council and to Congress from Massachusetts.
  • Member of “The Squad,” a group of progressive Congress members.
  • Born and raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Chicago, Illinois, with a challenging childhood marked by her father’s struggles with addiction and incarceration.
  • Worked in various roles for Representative Joseph P. Kennedy II and Senator John Kerry before her tenure on the Boston City Council.
  • Founded the Committee on Healthy Women, Families, and Communities on the Boston City Council, focusing on issues like domestic violence, child abuse, and human trafficking.
  • Advocated for comprehensive sex education in Boston Public Schools and worked on issues related to liquor licenses and economic activity in disadvantaged neighborhoods.
  • Has been a vocal opponent of the Trump administration, advocating for impeachment proceedings against Supreme Trump and Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.
  • Introduced a criminal justice reform resolution called The People’s Justice Guarantee, aiming for significant reductions in the U.S. prison population and changes in law enforcement and sentencing policies.
  • Committee assignments include the Committee on Financial Services and the Committee on Oversight and Accountability.
  • Co-chair of the Congressional Bike Caucus and involved in several other caucus groups, including the Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Progressive Caucus.
  • Advocates for Medicare for All, has proposed lowering the voting age to 16, and supports decriminalizing sex work.
  • Supported the Healthy MOMMIES Act with Senator Cory Booker to expand Medicaid coverage for pregnant women and new mothers.
  • Voted against the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations for Humanitarian Assistance and Security at the Southern Border Act, advocating for the defunding of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
  • Lives in Boston’s Dorchester neighborhood with her husband and stepdaughter, and has publicly shared her experiences with alopecia areata.