On Tuesday, August 7, UMass Boston hosted a debate for Massachusetts’ 7th Congressional District that featured Congressman Mike Capuano and Boston City Councilor Ayanna Pressley. The two Democratic candidates addressed transportation, housing, and other matters as they prepared for the Sept. 4 primary election.
Both candidates opened by rejecting the current administration’s policies, though their critiques extended beyond simple opposition. Healthcare and women’s rights were among the concerns Capuano raised during the discussion.
“With Donald Trump in the White House, we are in the fight of our lives,” Capuano stated. “He’s threatening everything that we care about.”
Pressley, the challenger, acknowledged Capuano’s decade-long record—he is in his 10th congressional term—and his accumulated experience. Nevertheless, she argued that the district required leadership rooted in activism.
“What this district deserves, and what these times require, is activist leadership, someone who can be a movement and a coalition builder because, ultimately, a vote on the floor of Congress will not defeat the hate coming out of that White House,” she said. “Only a movement can, and we have to build it.”
In response, Capuano characterized his career as combining legislative votes with active advocacy. “Votes are important, and, by the way, with Democrats in the majority, we brought healthcare to 20 million people,” he noted. “Votes are part of what we do, but advocacy behind those votes and part of those votes is just as important on a regular basis, and my record shows we do both.”
He pointed to transportation infrastructure improvements the district had experienced during his time in office as evidence of his effectiveness.
“In the final analysis, the votes on the floor of the house are going to be, for the most part, the same,” Capuano remarked. “The effectiveness of what’s behind that vote will be different.”
Representing a majority-minority district, Pressley expressed frustration regarding accusations of identity politics directed at her campaign. As the first woman of color on the City Council, she acknowledged that race and gender carry significance but cautioned against misusing such recognition.
“[Representation] doesn’t matter so we have progressive cred[ibility] about how inclusive and representative we are,” she explained. “It matters because it informs the issues that are spotlighted and emphasized, and it leads to more innovative and enduring solutions.”
WBUR, the Boston Globe, and UMass Boston’s McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies organized the event. Meghna Chakrabarti from WBUR and Adrian Walker from the Boston Globe moderated the proceedings.
The Sept. 4 primary will determine the Democratic nominee in this race, with the general election scheduled for Nov. 6. The 7th district includes portions of Boston, Cambridge, and Milton, as well as the entireties of Everett, Chelsea, Randolph, and Somerville.