Democrat · Massachusetts's 5th District · 2026
Katherine Clark
Clark began in elected office on the Melrose School Committee, while raising a family and building a legal career.
Biography
Katherine Clark's first elected office was on the Melrose School Committee, where she served from 2001 to 2007.1 She now lives in Revere with her husband and has three children.2 Her professional background also includes working directly on child care policy as a state government lawyer.2
A New Haven native, Clark earned a history degree at St. Lawrence University, a law degree at Cornell and a master's in public administration at Harvard.1 Her early legal work included clerking in federal court and prosecuting cases for Colorado's attorney general.1 In Massachusetts, she served as general counsel for the Office of Child Care Services and policy chief for the attorney general.2
Clark served in the Massachusetts House and Senate before winning the 2013 special election to succeed Ed Markey in Congress.1 She later held leadership roles as Democratic Caucus vice chair and Assistant Speaker.2 Elected Democratic Whip in 2022, she is her party's second ranking House leader and the highest ranking woman in Congress.2
Her legislative record includes leading a 2016 effort that established state grants for screening and treating postpartum depression.3 Her current priorities include affordable child care, paid leave, equal pay, abortion access and reducing gun violence.2 Clark is unopposed in November.4