WASHINGTON – Today, Congresswoman Ayanna Pressley (MA-07) issued the following statement on the nomination of Kimberly Budd to serve as Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC):

“The decision to appoint Kimberly Budd to be the next Chief Justice of our Supreme Judicial Court is a historic one, and I congratulate Justice Budd and her family on this well-deserved nomination.

“Justice Budd is a well-respected, thoughtful and dedicated public servant with a brilliant legal career, and as the first Black woman to lead the SJC in the court’s centuries-old history, I have every confidence that she will meet and exceed the history-making expectations her service on the Supreme Court brings. She is an excellent choice and a worthy successor to our late Chief Justice Ralph Gants, who spent his career pursuing justice, fighting for vulnerable communities, and working to model a more just and humane legal system.

“Make no mistake, representation in government matters—and our judiciary is no exception. In this moment of national reckoning on racial injustice, we must continue working to increase diverse representation in our court system. This will move us closer to the promise of equal justice for all. Governor Baker has the opportunity to continue diversifying the SJC with his next two appointments, and I urge him to do just that.”