On June 26, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez shocked the establishment by unseating the “King of Queens,” Joe Crowley, in the NY-14 Democratic primary. (Not to brag, but Millennial Politics covered her candidacy in an exclusive interview all the way back in July 2017.) Now that it’s been proven that the left, like the Tea Party, can successfully primary incumbents, everyone is wondering which established Democrat could be toppled next. According to Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez herself, it’s none other than Ayanna Pressley.

Like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley is a young woman of color challenging a white man who has served in Congress since 1999 and represented a different congressional district prior to the most recent decennial redistricting process. His current district, much like New York’s 14th, is a deep blue majority-minority district. Like NY-14 incumbent Joe Crowley, MA-07 incumbent Mike Capuano rarely votes with Donald Trump. But like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ayanna Pressley argues that opposing Trump isn’t good enough. Ayanna Pressley believes that “these times demand more than just an ally, they demand an advocate and a champion.”

Last night I had the honor of meeting @AyannaPressley and our BFF applications are already in 👯‍♀️ Ayanna and I are running similar races: neither taking corporate money, both expanding the electorate & taking down political machines that don’t service their communities. pic.twitter.com/gcKUxKmx3s — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@Ocasio2018) June 7, 2018

As the first woman of color ever elected to the Boston City Council, Ayanna has been a champion for working families and marginalized communities. A survivor of childhood sexual abuse and campus sexual assault, she has fought for restorative justice for survivors, earning her the Victim Rights Law Center’s Leadership Award. The child of an incarcerated parent, she has fought against the militarization of law enforcement and the criminalization of communities of color. An ally to the LGBTQ community, she developed a comprehensive sexual education and health curriculum successfully adopted by the Boston Public Schools’ wellness program. Her strong record on the Boston City Council makes her a credible challenge to Mike Capuano, who has not faced a single major-party challenger since first being elected to Congress in 1998.

While the odds are stacked against her, with even the Congressional Black Caucus PAC supporting Capuano, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s upset victory in NY-14 has given new energy to Ayanna’s campaign. The Democratic establishment finally recognizes that incumbents can be toppled by progressive insurgents in primaries. The specter of another solidly liberal congressman like Crowley being unseated by a younger, more exciting challenger is quite real.

Ayanna Pressley joined us on the podcast to discuss the prospect of another upset victory, the #AbolishICE movement, and the federal “Blue Lives Matter” bill her incumbent voted for. Listen on iTunes or in your browser below:

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