Katherine Clark Set to Become First Woman House Majority Leader at 63 After Democrats Win Chamber
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Nov 5
Katherine Clark Set to Become First Woman House Majority Leader at 63 After Democrats Win Chamber
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Nov 5
Summary
Katherine Clark, 63, is poised to become House majority leader in January after Democrats won back control of the chamber, putting the Massachusetts lawmaker in line to make history as the first woman in the post.
The No. 2 House Democrat is expected to take on a job centered on scheduling floor action and managing members, roles in which colleagues view her as an effective behind-the-scenes operator.
Clark is also set to be the most liberal member of the party's leadership team, with allies comparing her ideology and temperament to Senator Elizabeth Warren.
Her elevation comes with scrutiny of her positions, including a 2025 remark describing Israel's actions in Gaza as a genocide — a term she later retracted, saying she was not accusing Israel of genocide.
The move extends a broader arc of women breaking leadership barriers in House Democrats after Nancy Pelosi became the first female speaker in 2007.