Massachusetts’ own member of the liberal Squad – U.S. Rep. Ayanna Pressley – appears to be bumping up her visibility in what could be a move to increase her electability statewide.
Pressley, 49, who has been notoriously careful about exposure, is even on a charm offensive with some media and has increased her accessibility.
This week she appeared with Boston Marathon attack survivors at Harvard Street Neighborhood Health for a roundtable to mark a law expanding mental health support for survivors of natural disasters and terrorist attacks. The law was signed into law in December.
“I was proud to work with survivors to develop & pass legislation that helps address their trauma,” she tweeted.
“That’s what it means to keep those closest to the pain closest to the power.”
Pressley on Wednesday also joined other members of the state’s congressional delegation at a press conference to mark $5 million in federal funding to aid fallen and active-duty special operations forces who experience traumatic brain injury.
The question is why is Pressley making herself more visible.
Could she be positioning herself for a run statewide sometime in the near future?
Pressley is not going to let a Republican controlled House be the last stop in her promising political career. The U.S. Senate would be the logical next step.
She would be the instant front-runner should 73-year-old Sen. Elizabeth Warren abandon her seat to run for president again.
Warren is up in 2024 and has said she is running for reelection, but plans can always change, especially considering President Biden’s age and political vulnerability.
In a recent interview, Warren raised some eyebrows by refusing to say whether VP Kamala Harris should be Biden’s running mate again.
“I really want to defer to what makes Biden comfortable on his team,” she told Boston Public Radio. “
Why wouldn’t Warren just make a wholehearted endorsement of Harris? Well, if Biden doesn’t run, perhaps she doesn’t want to be perceived as backing Harris in case they have to face each other in a presidential primary.
Pressley could also wait until Sen. Edward Markey’s seat is up.
Markey will be close to 80 years old when he’s up for reelection in 2026. He survived a Democratic primary challenge from Joe Kennedy III in 2020, but it’s unlikely he could pull that feat off again.
Could Pressley win statewide?
She would have no problem raising funds, and would be rock solid in Boston and in the liberal suburbs. But would she be viewed as too extreme left to win among independents and moderate Democrats?
Pressley has aligned herself with the far left Squad led by Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and has sometimes been out of step even with her own Massachusetts Democratic colleagues.
That could be used against her even in a Democratic primary against a more moderate opponent.
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This weirdo would be more useful as a cue ball in a pool hall than a senator. But then again Minnesota and Massachusetts put Omar and Tlaib in congress, so I guess there is no predicting just how stupid the electorate can be. She can join the squad and soon there may be enough for a full platoon.
That would be a very sad day.
I thought she was already A member of the squad..
I can’t get over how that picture of her in that angle reminds me of the Conehead movie need I say more.
AT Least that movie was good for a laugh. WHAT IS SHE good for, other than making me want to puke.
Real Massachusetts patriots like John Adams and Paul Revere just to mention a couple would spin in their graves like a top if they could see the fools that are representing their state now.