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RandySF

(81,189 posts) Mon Dec 15, 2025, 08:55 PM Dec 15

MA-05: No. 2 House Democrat Katherine Clark gets primary challenger

Massachusetts Rep. Katherine Clark, the No. 2 House Democratic leader, will face a challenge from the left in 2026.

Jonathan Paz, an organizer and former Waltham city councilor, announced his campaign against Clark, the Democratic whip, in a video posted late Sunday night emphasizing the need to “rebuild” the Democratic party.

“I’m challenging one of the most powerful Democrats in the House because we need new leadership,” said Paz, whose family immigrated from Bolivia. “Let’s just call it what it is: our Democratic leaders are failing us. They’re not stopping Trump. They’re not making life more affordable. They’re not building a party for the working class.”

Paz, who served for four years on the Waltham City Council, more recently founded Fuerza, a volunteer group that responds to ongoing Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrests in the region.

https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2025/12/15/congress/katherine-clark-primary-00690707

3 replies

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MA-05: No. 2 House Democrat Katherine Clark gets primary challenger (Original Post) RandySF Dec 15 OP

Katherine Clark is new leadership and if this person thinks... W_HAMILTON Dec 15 #1

Competition is healthy. SSJVegeta Dec 15 #2

I think we may see more challenges to incumbents... appmanga Dec 15 #3

W_HAMILTON

(10,087 posts)

1. Katherine Clark is new leadership and if this person thinks...

Reply to RandySF (Original post)

Mon Dec 15, 2025, 09:07 PM

Dec 15

...a member of the minority party in the House can """stop Trump,""" he doesn't have even a basic understanding of the job he wants to compete for.

SSJVegeta

(2,336 posts)

2. Competition is healthy.

Reply to RandySF (Original post)

Mon Dec 15, 2025, 09:11 PM

Dec 15

appmanga

(1,382 posts)

3. I think we may see more challenges to incumbents...

Reply to RandySF (Original post)

Mon Dec 15, 2025, 11:14 PM

Dec 15

...and while there's some danger in that, there's a perception that the leadership is too passive, too old, and too cozy with the same monied interests as the Republicans. The Republicans will welcome any chance they can get to have next cycle come down to culture war stuff and not policy.

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