US Rep. Ayanna Pressley launched a political action committee on Monday that her campaign said would help continue the work she began last year in her campaign against a long-time incumbent Democrat.

Five months into her first term in Congress, Pressley has opened the Power of Us PAC, a political action committee that she plans to use to build a pipeline of diverse candidates interested in running for Congress. The Boston Democrat’s campaign said the new PAC would also work to promote civic engagement and help people interested in getting involved in advocacy work at the federal level.

The ‘Power of Us’ PAC will break the traditional mold for leadership PACs by investing resources to provide hands-on training and learning opportunities to continue growing that movement in the 7th District and beyond,” she said. Pressley defeated former US Rep. Michael Capuano of Somerville last year in the Democratic primary for the Seventh Congressional District seat. In that campaign, Pressley raised nearly $1.5 million, or three-quarters of Capuano’s fundraising for the cycle. Pressley raised another $188,000 in the first quarter of 2019.