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Rep. Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.), a key member of the progressive "squad," announced Tuesday that she will run for re-election in Massachusetts’s 7th Congressional District rather than challenge Sen. Ed Markey for his U.S. Senate seat.
Her decision, shared in a statement, ends months of speculation that she might enter the Democratic primary.
Pressley said in her statement that the encouragement she received from voters across the state was "deeply humbling".
"Hearing from so many people from throughout our Commonwealth encouraging me to run for the United States Senate was deeply humbling and a testament to the strength of our movement," Pressley said.
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She also emphasized that the timing was not right for a statewide bid. With her daughter entering her final year at home before college, Pressley emphasized that she wanted to be present for key family moments, which would be complicated by a Senate bid.
"It would be an honor to serve the whole Commonwealth, but with our daughter in her last year at home before college and a district that has been in the crosshairs of this White House, I am certain that the Massachusetts 7th is where I belong in this moment," Pressley added.
Pressley also told The Boston Globe that she was not closing the door on a future Senate run.
"I’m not closing the door to a Senate run down the line," she told the outlet.
Her decision not to enter the race this cycle avoids a potentially awkward matchup between the two progressives, as Markey has long been aligned with the party’s left flank.
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The race already features Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.), who has sought to draw a generational contrast with the 79-year-old senator.
A Suffolk University–Boston Globe poll released before Thanksgiving also showed Markey leading Moulton 45 percent to 22 percent among likely Democratic primary voters.
But when Pressley was included in a hypothetical matchup, she narrowly edged Markey 35 percent to 34 percent, with Moulton falling to 16 percent.
In her Tuesday announcement, Pressley highlighted accomplishments from her tenure in Congress ranging from expanding mental-health supports to securing tens of millions in federal funds for her district.
She also vowed to continue fighting for a more just and equitable Massachusetts. Pressley did not announce any endorsement in the Senate race.
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