First motivated to run for office by the belief that the people closest to pain should be closest to power—and that a diversity of voices in the political process is essential to crafting more effective public policy—Representative Ayanna Pressley began an impressive career in public service as an at-large member of the Boston City Council before being elected to serve the people of Massachusetts’s Seventh Congressional District in 2018. In both roles, Representative Pressley made history as the first woman of color to serve her constituents, and she has always been acutely aware of the role that government can play in lifting up families and communities. 

In Congress, Representative Pressley has been dedicated to advancing bold legislation to tackle some of the biggest challenges facing Massachusetts families—including addressing America’s epidemic of gun violence. Knowing that places like Massachusetts have lower rates of violence due to their strong state gun safety laws, Representative Pressley helped introduce legislation like the Making America Safe and Secure Act to incentivize states to implement gun licensing standards similar to those in her state. She also helped convene the first ever congressional hearings on childhood trauma with the late Representative Elijah Cummings, and specifically highlighted the significant impact gun violence can have on the mental health of America’s youth. 

Representative Pressley knows that the intersection of racism and violence is a crisis in our society, and that we must do more to address it. In 2021, she proudly worked with GIFFORDS to introduce the Ending Qualified Immunity Act to restore Americans’ ability to obtain relief when state and local officials, including police officers, violate their legal and constitutionally secured rights. In 2022, she also joined colleagues on both sides of the aisle to help pass the landmark Bipartisan Safer Communities Act, the first major gun safety legislation signed into law in nearly 30 years.

Now more than ever, we need to reelect vocal champions in the fight to save lives—champions like Representative Ayanna Pressley. We’re confident that with her in office, Massachusetts families can one day live safer lives, free from the scourge of gun violence, and we can once again pass meaningful legislation to protect our communities in a new gun safety House majority.

We are proud to endorse Ayanna Pressley for the US House of Representatives.