Plan B Forum

There is a changing of the guard in the 7th Congressional District, with shockwaves sure to reverberate throughout the Democratic Party.

Ayanna Pressley, the first woman of color elected to the Boston City Council and a self-described candidate of change, on Tuesday easily toppled U.S. Rep. Michael Capuano, a 10-term incumbent, in an intra-party tussle that garnered national attention.

With no Republican opponent, Pressley is set to become the first African-American woman to represent Massachusetts in Congress.

"It seems like change is on the way," Pressley said in her celebratory speech.

Pressley supporters react to Capuano's concession speech. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)
Pressley supporters react to Capuano's concession speech. (Robin Lubbock/WBUR)
Pressley's victory — as a younger woman of color — echoes the upset win, earlier this year in New York City, of political newcomer Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, who also ousted a longtime congressional incumbent.

After Ocasio-Cortez's victory, national focus turned to Greater Boston, with questions about whether Pressley could repeat the script against Capuano.

"Ayanna Pressley is going to be a good congresswoman," Capuano said in brief remarks to supporters. "I will tell you Massachusetts will be well served, and with that I'm simply going to say thank you before I go home."

Throughout their spirited but congenial campaign, both Capuano, 66, and Pressley, 44, touted their progressive credentials and policy stances, and admitted they would vote similarly on most issues before the U.S. House.

So the dividing lines shifted to identity issues and experience. Capuano, a white man, stressed his record and ability to deliver for the urban district, while Pressley said she'd be a transformative leader, with a motto of "change can't wait."

One longtime community activist in Boston, the Rev. Jeff Brown, spoke to the race's significance, saying it is "about the soul of the Democratic Party."

A WBUR poll in early August found Capuano, a former Somerville mayor, leading by 13 points. He was buoyed by an advantage in campaign funds and a number of endorsements, including from Deval Patrick, the state's first African-American governor.

Pressley was backed by state Attorney General Maura Healey, and notably received endorsements from both the Boston Globe and Boston Herald editorial boards.

And in the end, Pressley came out on top. And it wasn't close. With 99 percent of precincts reporting, Pressley leads by almost 18 percentage points.

The diverse 7th district includes most of Boston, parts of Cambridge and Milton, and all of Chelsea, Everett, Randolph and Somerville.

It is the state's lone congressional district in which most residents are minority — though typically most of its voters have been white.

There are no Republican candidates in the deep blue district, meaning Pressley is all but assured to be on her way to Washington, D.C.