Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley says she is optimistic that Democrats can regain majority control of the US House in next week’s midterm elections, a prospect that she says would strengthen her ability to deliver resources to her district while holding President Donald Trump’s administration accountable.
In a wide-ranging interview this week on the Dorchester Reporter’s DotLife podcast, Pressley discussed her recent travels on behalf of Democratic candidates, the future of federal housing policy, immigration enforcement, and her role in helping to secure a last-minute reprieve for the Fields Corner Post Office.
Pressley, who represents the Massachusetts Seventh Congressional District, described the Nov. 3 election as a potential turning point.
“This is a change election year, very similar to the election year that I was elected to Congress in 2018,” she said.
Pressley has campaigned for progressive candidates in Tennessee, Michigan, and Minnesota, with a trip to Florida also planned. She said the effort is aimed at building a larger coalition of like-minded legislators who can advance her priorities.
“It’s really building a squad, if you will, that you can then leverage for key votes and key fights,” she said.
In her interview with DotLife’s Erin Caldwell and The Reporter’s Bill Forry, the Congresswoman spoke in depth about her visits to Minnesota, where federal immigration enforcement operations earlier this year sparked widespread outrage following the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti.
She said she traveled to Minnesota immediately after Pretti’s killing, at the invitation of community organizers with whom she has worked on environmental justice and criminal justice reform.
“I really readied myself to be at ground zero, if you will, for the trauma inflicted by these racist rogue agents,” Pressley said.
Instead, she said, she encountered an extraordinary network of neighborhood organizing and mutual aid that had been built through previous crises, including the aftermath of George Floyd’s murder.
Parents who had previously organized around schools and neighborhood safety quickly mobilized to monitor immigration enforcement activity, some equipped with whistles and fluorescent vests.
“It was incredibly sophisticated and very inspiring,” she said.
Pressley said the trauma remains deeply felt in Minneapolis and St. Paul, but residents are now particularly focused on holding federal agents accountable.
“The trauma is still very real. It is talked about in many spaces, but what people are most focused on is accountability,” she said.
She pointed to legislation she has introduced with Sen. Ed Markey that would end qualified immunity for federal law enforcement officers, potentially making it easier for victims to seek legal remedies.
Pressley also said she supports efforts to pursue criminal prosecutions arising from the deaths of Good and Pretti.
“There can never be justice because justice would mean that Renee Good would never have lost her life. Alex Pretti would never have been robbed of his life,” she said. “But there has to be accountability.”
She reiterated her belief that ICE should be abolished, calling the agency “beyond reform.”
A Democratic takeover of the House, she added, would enable congressional committees to use subpoena powers to investigate the administration’s immigration enforcement practices.
Closer to home, Pressley discussed a successful team effort by elected officials last week to prevent the closure of the Fields Corner Post Office .
The Postal Service announced last Friday that it had secured a six-month lease extension after previously announcing plans to close the branch on Oct. 26.
Pressley credited pressure from concerned residents and collaboration among elected officials, including Mayor Michelle Wu, city councillors, and state legislators.
“This is a quality of life issue,” she said. “People receive their prescriptions through the mail. They stay connected to loved ones. Small business owners rely upon it.”
“It’s an essential service. It’s not a nice-to-have. It’s a must-have.”
She acknowledged that the reprieve is temporary, with another lease decision looming next spring.
“We have to remain vigilant,” she said.
On housing, Pressley said the affordability crisis remains the most persistent concern she hears from constituents across her district.
“When I have coffee hours, when I have town halls in person, when I have tele-town halls, housing is the number one, two and three issue,” she said.
She cited her work on recently enacted federal housing legislation, including provisions intended to combat discriminatory property appraisals, preserve affordable housing, protect renters, and expand homeownership opportunities.
Pressley also agreed that Trump’s tariffs and immigration policies have made it more difficult to build housing, citing the impact of rising construction costs and the loss of immigrant workers.
On the state’s ballot questions, Pressley reiterated her opposition to Question 3, which would replace party primaries with a single preliminary election advancing the top two finishers.
She argued the proposal would favor wealthy candidates and incumbents with established name recognition while making it harder for working-class challengers to compete.
She supports same-day voter registration and ranked-choice voting as better alternatives.
Despite her demanding Washington schedule, Pressley said maintaining her ties to Dorchester remains a personal priority. Her husband grew up in the neighborhood, and she recalled building her family and finding a sense of belonging here.
“I love Dorchester,” she said. “I think Dorchester just really puts the neighbor in neighborhood.”
Her late mother is buried at Cedar Grove Cemetery, a particularly meaningful connection to the community for the Congresswoman, who lived for many years in the Ashmont section of Dorchester. She and her family now live in Hyde Park.
The conversation ended on a lighter note, with Pressley declaring her allegiance to Roxbury-born R&B group New Edition and pledging to advocate for its induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame.
“The precision, the showmanship of New Edition, the seamless choreography, the harmonies, the stamina, all of the things,” she said.
And for her favorite local dining spot? The Mix, she said, singling out its shrimp and grits and salmon sliders.
See the full episode of DotLife podcast here.
