The Winner

If you live in Massachusetts’ 5th Congressional District, Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA) will keep representing you, and she may soon hold the second most powerful job in the House. Clark was the only candidate on the Nov. 3 ballot, and NBC News projected her the winner of the uncontested race. The results stay unofficial until Massachusetts certifies them. Clark has represented the district since winning a special election in 2013. ​

The Race

Clark’s only competitive contest this year was the Sept. 1 Democratic primary. She won about 74% of the vote over challengers Jonathan Paz and Tarik Samman, according to Ballotpedia’s race results, and no Republican qualified for the November ballot.

Cook Political Report and Inside Elections rated the race Solid Democratic, and Sabato’s Crystal Ball rated it Safe Democratic. Clark also ran without an opponent on the 2024 ballot.

The district covers 23 communities north and west of Boston, including Framingham, Malden, Medford, Revere, Waltham and Woburn, along with parts of Cambridge, Bedford and Wellesley, according to the Massachusetts Secretary of the Commonwealth. About 778,600 people live there, the median age is about 39 and the typical household earns about $130,800 a year.

About 61% of adults hold at least a bachelor’s degree, and residents are about 65% white, 14% Asian, 11% Hispanic and 5% Black. The unemployment rate is about 4.5%, and about 8% of residents live below the poverty line.

What’s Next

Clark’s new term begins Jan. 3, 2027, and she is running to become the first woman to serve as House majority leader. In a letter to fellow Democrats on Thursday, Nov. 5, she pledged to make affordability a top priority and give rank-and-file members a “seat at the table,” CBS News reported. House Democrats are scheduled to hold their leadership elections Nov. 18 and 19.

Clark, now the No. 2 House Democrat as whip, said her first goal next year is to “restore the cuts” in the Republican tax and spending law, including to Medicaid, veterans’ benefits and food programs, she told WBUR.

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