Ayanna PressleyVerified account

This afternoon, I spoke at the Democratic Campaign Institute, sponsored by @massdems, which brought together current and future candidates, staffers, & activists from across MA. I was inspired to be w/ such a diverse group looking to engage further in our democracy. (2/x)

But, under the DCCC's new rule, too many of those in attendance would continue to be excluded from Democratic Party institutions. I am particularly concerned about the potential impact of this rule on diverse vendors (3/x)

The fact that I challenged an incumbent meant a lot of folks were told not to come anywhere near my campaign. But I was lucky to build a dynamic, innovative team of staff & consultants who understood the challenges our campaign faced, and who were willing to take a risk (4/x)

Without their willingness to go against the status quo - it’s very possible that I wouldn’t be in Congress. (5/x)

If the DCCC enacts this policy to blacklist vendors who work with challengers, we risk undermining an entire universe of potential candidates and vendors - especially women and people of color - whose ideas, energy, and innovation need a place in our party (6/x)

As a practice, I always want to engage my colleagues 1-on-1 when we disagree. Those conversations can be productive & meaningful. But I worry these concerns, while shared by many of my colleagues & supporters, haven’t been received by those calling the shots at the DCCC. (7/x)

So, let me be clear: I believe fiercely in the potential of our party, but we cannot credibly lay claim to prioritizing diversity & inclusion when institutions like the DCCC implement policies that threaten to silence new voices and historically marginalized communities (8/x)

The lesson of 2018 is that our party is made stronger by the inclusion of diverse, disruptive candidates and vendors who bring different perspectives and experiences (9/x)