Boston City Councilor Ayanna Pressley wasted no time on Tuesday night congratulating so-called “Democratic Giant Slayer” and Boston University alumna Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who defeated New York’s Congressman Joseph Crowley Tuesday night.
Pressley, who is running to unseat Representative Michael Capuano, tweeted a photo of the two and wrote, “together, we will change the world.”
A huge congrats to @Ocasio2018 for your victory tonight! You proved that when we stand up for what we believe in, we win. This is about more than one campaign or election. This is a movement. Together, we will change the world. Congratulations! #ChangeCantWait #Ocasio2018 pic.twitter.com/imORpc1jST
— Ayanna Pressley (@AyannaPressley) June 27, 2018
Early Wednesday morning, Ocasio-Cortez in turn urged Massachusetts voters to back Pressley in September.
She quoted Pressley as she responded to a reporter highlighting her background as a bartender and wrote, “Vote her in next, Massachusetts.”
“The people closest to the pain should be closest to the power.”
— Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) June 27, 2018
- @AyannaPressley.
Vote her in next, Massachusetts.
There are more of us, too: @CoriBush, @Chardo2018, @AyannaPressley & more.
We need to elect a corporate PAC-free caucus if we’re going to get things done. https://t.co/M2tF5cedTs
Pressley and Ocasio-Cortez have strikingly similar stories: Both are women of color facing white male opponents who have served in Congress since 1998. Both attended Boston University. Both worked for former US senators from Massachusetts (Ocasio-Cortez for the late Ted Kennedy and Pressley for John Kerry). Both ran to the left of their opponents, though Pressley shares many of the same policy positions as Capuano, and Ocasio-Cortez is a member of the Democratic Socialists of America.
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Christina Prignano can be reached at christina.prignano@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @cprignano.