It’s been a whirlwind week for Ayanna Pressley.
She admits she wasn’t sure she’d win the primary race against longterm Congressman Mike Capuano and was giving herself an internal pep talk when she learned she’d done it on Tuesday.
7News’ Sharman Sacchetti spoke with her about that and what’s next.
In her first wide-ranging interview since her major upset over the 10-term incumbent, the future Congresswoman admits even she wasn’t convinced she’d pull off a win.
“I knew we could win, but had prepared myself to lose,” she said.
Cellphone video taken by a friend that has since gone viral showed the moment an aide told her she’d done it.
“I think my heart just started beating again,” Pressley said. “I knew even if we’d lost, we’d won, so I had written one speech that was going to work either way. What you saw captured there was completely organic. and authentic.”
Pressley said she was in “complete, complete, and utter shock” when she jumped out of her chair to hug her husband and her daughter.
Pressley says she will bring a bold, activist approach and resist the Trump Administration. She agrees senior White House officials should invoke the 25th amendment if they believe the president is unfit.
“I do believe he should be impeached,” she said. “And if we’re unable to do that by usual protocols, then that is something that should be called into action. I think he’s proven himself unfit.”
The Democratic nominee will be the first black woman Massachusetts has sent to Congress.
When asked why it took a blue state so long to send a woman of color to Congress, Pressley said, “You know, the thing is, in order for there to be a second, there has to be a first.”
There’s no Republican in the race, so Pressley will be the Congresswoman on Election Day. She says what she wants to do first is help stop Brett Kavanaugh from becoming the next Supreme Court justice.