November 5, 2025
In 2018, Massachusetts voters elected Ayanna Pressley to represent the state’s 7th Congressional District in the House of Representatives. She became the first woman of color from the state to serve in the United States Congress.
In 2018, Massachusetts voters elected Ayanna Pressley to represent the state’s 7th Congressional District in the House of Representatives. She became the first woman of color from the state to serve in the United States Congress. Now, she’s considering another first that hasn’t been achieved in Massachusetts: becoming the first woman of color to serve as a U.S. Senator.
Inside sources tell Politico that Rep. Pressley, a progressive member of the Squad on Capitol Hill, is considering a run for the Senate seat currently held by Ed Markey, also a Democrat.
If Pressley decides to run, she will likely face an uphill battle from her own party. Markey, the 79-year-old incumbent, plans to run for re-election. Her counterpart in the House, Rep. Seth Moulton, recently launched his campaign to challenge Markey in the primary and is positioning himself as a new generation of Democratic leaders as the party grapples with a fight between the establishment and newer leaders who want change.
Democrats Grapple With Party’s Future
New York’s mayoral race highlights the Democratic Party’s paradox between left-leaning and Centrist leaders.
New York City Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, a self-proclaimed Democratic Socialist, defeated former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who ran as an Independent after losing to Mamdani in the primary earlier this year, and Republican Curtis Sliwa. Centrist Democrats view Mamdani’s proposals, such as fare-free public transit, rent freezes, city-run grocery stores, universal childcare, and higher taxes on the wealthy, as ideologically extreme.
A University of Massachusetts Amherst poll conducted in October found that Markey leads the hypothetical Senate field that includes Moulton and Pressley. Markey garnered 35% of the vote, Moulton received 25%, and Pressley received 21%.
Despite reports that she’s considering a run, her team says it remains focused on reopening the federal government.
“The Congresswoman remains focused on ending Republicans’ government shutdown, serving her district, and effectively fighting back against the White House’s attacks on the LGBTQ+ community, Black and brown folks, federal workers, and our immigrant neighbors,” Pressley spokesperson Ricardo Sánchez told Politico on Election Day.
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