Katherine Clark facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Katherine Clark
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Official portrait, 2023
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| House Minority Whip | |
| Assumed office January 3, 2023 |
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| Leader | Hakeem Jeffries |
| Preceded by | Steve Scalise |
| Assistant Speaker of the United States House of Representatives | |
| In office January 3, 2021 – January 3, 2023 |
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| Leader | Nancy Pelosi |
| Preceded by | Ben Ray Luján |
| Succeeded by | Jim Clyburn (Assistant Democratic Leader) |
| Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus | |
| In office January 3, 2019 – January 3, 2021 |
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| Leader | Nancy Pelosi |
| Preceded by | Linda Sánchez |
| Succeeded by | Pete Aguilar |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 5th district |
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| Assumed office December 12, 2013 |
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| Preceded by | Ed Markey |
| Member of the Massachusetts Senate | |
| In office January 5, 2011 – December 10, 2013 |
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| Preceded by | Richard Tisei |
| Succeeded by | Jason Lewis |
| Constituency |
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| Member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives from the 32nd Middlesex district |
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| In office March 13, 2008 – January 5, 2011 |
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| Preceded by | Mike Festa |
| Succeeded by | Paul Brodeur |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Katherine Marlea Clark
July 17, 1963 New Haven, Connecticut, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse |
Rodney Dowell
(m. 1992) |
| Children | 3 |
| Education |
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| Website | |
Katherine Marlea Clark (born July 17, 1963) is an American lawyer and politician. She is a member of the Democratic Party. Since 2023, she has served as the House Minority Whip. This is a top leadership job for her party in the United States House of Representatives.
Clark represents the people of Massachusetts's 5th congressional district. She has been their U.S. representative since 2013. Before her current role, she was the Assistant Speaker and the Vice Chair of the House Democratic Caucus.
Before working in the U.S. government, Clark was a member of the state government in Massachusetts. She served in the Massachusetts House of Representatives from 2008 to 2011. Then, she served in the Massachusetts Senate from 2011 to 2013. Her district includes many cities and suburbs near Boston, such as Medford, Framingham, and her home city of Revere.
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Early Life and Education
Katherine Marlea Clark was born on July 17, 1963, in New Haven, Connecticut. She went to three different universities. She earned degrees from St. Lawrence University, Cornell Law School, and Harvard's John F. Kennedy School of Government. In 1983, she also spent time studying in Nagoya, Japan.
After finishing school, she worked as a lawyer in Chicago. Later, she moved to Colorado. There, she worked for a judge and for the Colorado District Attorneys' Council. In 1995, she moved to Massachusetts. She became the main lawyer for the state's Office of Child Care Services.
Starting in Local Politics
In 2001, Clark moved to the city of Melrose, Massachusetts. She was elected to the Melrose School Committee in 2002. The school committee helps make decisions for the city's schools. By 2005, she was chosen to be the head of the committee.
Clark first ran for the Massachusetts Senate in 2004 but did not win. She also worked for the Massachusetts Attorney General's office. This office is in charge of legal matters for the state.
Working in the Massachusetts Legislature
Massachusetts House of Representatives (2008–2011)
In 2007, a seat opened up in the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Clark decided to run for the position. She won the election and began representing the towns of Melrose and Wakefield.
She was sworn into office on March 13, 2008. In the state House, she worked on committees for education, the justice system, and local governments.
Massachusetts Senate (2011–2013)
In 2010, Clark ran for a seat in the Massachusetts Senate and won. She was sworn in on January 5, 2011. As a state senator, she worked on many important laws.
She helped write a bill to improve retirement plans for city and town workers. She also wrote a law to help young students improve their reading skills. Another law she worked on helped protect the pets of people in abusive situations. She also worked on laws about police investigations and public safety.
U.S. House of Representatives (2013–Present)
In 2013, the U.S. Representative for her district, Ed Markey, was elected to the U.S. Senate. This left his seat in the House of Representatives open. Clark ran in a special election to fill the seat and won on December 10, 2013. She has been reelected every two years since then.
Clark was sworn into the U.S. Congress on December 12, 2013. She serves on the House Appropriations Committee. This powerful committee decides how the government spends money.
Clark has worked on laws to stop online harassment. This became a focus for her after the Gamergate controversy. She even became a target of a dangerous prank called "swatting" after she introduced a law to ban it. Swatting is when someone makes a fake emergency call to send police to another person's house.
In 2017, Clark chose not to attend the inauguration of President Donald Trump. She said she did not want to "normalize" what she called hurtful and unfair comments made during his campaign.
Leadership Roles in Congress
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Clark has earned several important leadership positions within the Democratic Party.
- House Democratic Caucus Vice Chair: In 2018, she was elected to this role. She helped lead meetings and organize members of her party.
- Assistant Speaker: In 2020, she was elected Assistant Speaker. This was the fourth-highest leadership job for Democrats in the House at the time.
- House Democratic Whip: In 2022, Clark was elected as the Minority Whip. The whip's job is to make sure party members are present for important votes. They also encourage members to vote along with the party's goals. This is the second-highest leadership role for her party in the House.
Committee and Caucus Memberships
Besides the Appropriations Committee, Clark is a member of many groups in Congress called caucuses. These groups focus on specific issues. Some of the caucuses she belongs to include:
- Animal Protection Caucus
- Autism Caucus
- Bipartisan Congressional Task Force on Alzheimer's Disease
- Congressional Women's Caucus
- LGBT Equality Caucus
- Safe Climate Caucus
Personal Life
Clark is married to Rodney S. Dowell. He is the executive director for the group that regulates lawyers in Massachusetts. They live in Revere, and have three children.
When Congress is working in Washington, D.C., Clark shares a house with several other female representatives.
See also
In Spanish: Katherine Clark para niños
- Women in the United States House of Representatives
