Four Women with Ties to BU Win Reelection to House of Representatives
With House and Senate likely to be under GOP control, they will continue serving their constituents
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (from left), Jen Kiggans, Lois Frankel, and Ayanna Pressley all retained their seats in Congress. Photos via Getty/Jacek Boczarski/Anadolu/AP/Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call/Michael Brochstein/Jason Bergman/Sipa
Politics
Four Women with Ties to BU Win Reelection to House of Representatives
With House and Senate likely to be under GOP control, they will continue serving their constituents
Four congresswomen with ties to Boston University won reelection to their seats in the US House of Representatives Tuesday night. As of Wednesday morning, it appeared both the House of Representatives and the US Senate would fall under Republican control, along with the White House, following former president Donald Trump’s decisive victory over Vice President Kamala Harris.
- Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) easily defeated her Republican challenger, small business owner Tina Forte, in New York’s 14th District. This will be the fourth term in the House for Ocasio-Cortez (CAS’11, Pardee’11). During that time, she has risen to national prominence as a leading voice among progressive Democrats. She has been among the most outspoken House leaders on issues ranging from the southern border and the Middle East conflict to climate change. In a statement issued Tuesday night, Ocasio-Cortez said, “Thank you to the people of the Bronx and Queens for reelecting me to another term in Congress. As a waitress, I never thought serving in Congress would ever be a reality. It will always remain the honor of my life to serve our community.”
- Jen Kiggans (R-Va.), who was running for a second term in a competitive Virginia district, beat her Democratic challenger, Missy Cotter Smasal, in a somewhat tight race. Kiggans (Pardee’93), a geriatric nurse practitioner who is also a former Navy helicopter pilot, had served previously in Virginia’s state senate before winning her House seat in 2022. Speaking to her supporters early Wednesday morning, she said, “It is the honor of a lifetime to be chosen to represent #VA02 in Congress again… I’m incredibly thankful that Southeast Virginia has once again chosen common sense conservatism…together we will get our country back on the right track and secure America’s success…! THANK YOU!”
- Lois Frankel (D-Fla.) held on to her House seat in Florida’s 22nd District in Palm Beach County along the Gulf Coast by beating Republican Dan Franzese for a second time. Frankel (CAS’70) was first elected to Congress in 2012. “Thank you, Palm Beach County, for trusting me to represent you for another term,” Frankel wrote on the social media platform X. “Serving as your voice in Congress is both an honor and a privilege, and I’m ready to keep working on the issues that matter most to our community. Always on your side!”
- Ayanna Pressley (D-Mass.) ran unopposed in her bid to hold her seat in the state’s 7th Congressional District. Pressley (Hon.’21), who attended BU’s College of General Studies in the 1990s, was first elected to Congress in 2018. “Six years ago, the #MA7 sent me to Washington with a mandate for transformative change,” she said in a statement released Tuesday night. “Today, you decisively reelected me as your congresswoman for a fourth term. From the bottom of my heart, I am so grateful for your partnership and your support.”
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