Ayanna Pressley

Ayanna Pressley

Ayanna Pressley at the Reggie Lewis Center in 2013
At-Large Councillor of the Boston City Council
Assumed office
January 2010
Preceded by Sam Yoon and Michael F. Flaherty
Personal details
Born (1974-02-03) February 3, 1974
Chicago
Political party Democratic
Residence Dorchester, Massachusetts
Profession Boston City Councilor
Committees Chair of the Committee on Women & Healthy Communities
Website

City Council

Ayanna Pressley

Ayanna Pressley is a member of the Boston City Council in Boston, Massachusetts. She is the first woman of color to be elected to the council in its 106-year history.[1]

Career

A native of Chicago, Pressley attended Boston University, but dropped out to support her mother who lost her job.[2] After leaving Boston University, Pressley worked as a Senior Aide for Congressman Joseph Patrick Kennedy II and United States Senator John Kerry. During 2009, Pressley served as Kerry’s Political Director, responsible for managing his relationships with elected officials at the city, state and federal level and with various community leaders.[3]

Pressley was first elected to the Boston City Council on November 3, 2009. The only woman in a field of 15 candidates, Pressley earned one of four At-Large spots on the city’s 13-member council with nearly 42,000 votes. After being sworn in on January 4, 2010 she became the first woman of color to serve in the 100-year history of the Boston City Council.[4]

In 2011, Pressley faced a highly competitive reelection campaign, but finished first among At-Large candidates with 37,000 votes. She won 13 of the City’s 22 wards and finished 2nd in three others. Pressley dominated Boston’s communities of color and progressive neighborhoods.[5]

Pressley topped the ticket again in 2013.[6][7]

In 2015, EMILY's List honored Ayanna Pressley at a large reception in Washington, D.C. and presented her with their annual "Gabrielle Giffords Rising Star Award." [8][9]

Committees

Personal life

Pressley lives in Dorchester with her husband, Conan Harris, and her stepdaughter.[10]

References

  1. ↑ http://www.cityofboston.gov/citycouncil/councillors/pressley.asp Retrieved 2010-03-29
  2. ↑ "Ayanna Pressley, CGS, will be the first African-American woman ever and the first black candidate in nearly 20 years to serve as a citywide councilor in Boston". City of Boston. 2009-11-04. Retrieved 2011-02-14.
  3. ↑ "Ayanna Pressley". City of Boston. Retrieved 2011-02-14. After being sworn in on January 4, 2010 she became the first woman of color to serve in the 100-year history of the Boston City Council.
  4. ↑ "Ayanna Pressley". City of Boston. Retrieved 2011-02-14.Pressley earned one of four At-Large spots on the city’s 13-member council with nearly 42,000 votes.
  5. ↑ "Hard work pays off for Pressley in City Council election". The Boston Globe. Retrieved 2013-05-29. In all, Pressley placed first in more than half of Boston’s 22 wards.
  6. ↑ http://www.cityofboston.gov/images_documents/2013%20-%2011-05-13%20-%20City%20Councillor%20at%20Large%20Ward%20%26%20Precinct%20Results_tcm3-41961.pdf
  7. ↑ http://www.wbur.org/2013/11/06/women-top-boston-at-large-city-councilor-race
  8. ↑ "EMILY's List To Present 'Rising Star' Award To Boston City Councilwoman Ayanna Pressley". Huffington Post. 2015-02-19.
  9. ↑ http://wgbhnews.org/post/why-cant-emilys-list-get-millennial-women-vote-plus-ayanna-pressley-walks-water
  10. ↑ http://www.ayannapressley.com/about

External links


This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 12/2/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.