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Watch: Ayanna Pressley learns she won her Massachusetts primary for Congress

She broke down in stunned tears of joy.

By Dylan Matthews
Dylan Matthews is a senior correspondent and head writer for Vox's Future Perfect section and has worked at Vox since 2014. He is particularly interested in global health and pandemic prevention, anti-poverty efforts, economic policy and theory, and conflicts about the right way to do philanthropy.

Ayanna Pressley, a Boston City Councilwoman, has won the Democratic nomination for Massachusetts’ Seventh Congressional District, ousting longtime Rep. Michael Capuano (D-MA) in the safe Democratic district. Barring a major fluke in the general election (there is no Republican in the race), she will be the first black woman to represent Massachusetts in Congress, and the first black person period to represent Massachusetts in the US House of Representatives.

Pressley’s close friend and fellow Massachusetts political veteran Jesse Mermell posted a video on Twitter showing Pressley learning she won the race. Regardless of what you think of the race, it’s pretty heartwarming:

Be sure to read my colleague Ella Nilsen’s explanation of the impact of Pressley’s win.

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In This Stream

Midterms 2018: Ayanna Pressley wins Massachusetts’s 7th District

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