...Also of note is the steady rise in the House of Democrat U.S. Rep. Katherine Clark of Melrose. She has rocketed by her Massachusetts Democrat colleagues to become part of Pelosi’s leadership team.
As Pelosi was nominated as speaker, Clark, 57, a four-term member of the House, was elected assistant speaker, making her the fourth ranking member of Pelosi’s leadership team.
Clark’s rise to prominence in the House is a surprise to many because she accomplished it under the radar, without chasing after the media.
She was practically an anonymous member of the Massachusetts state Senate when in 2013 she won a special election in the 5th Congressional District to fill the remaining term of Edward Markey who went on to the U.S. Senate.
“I don’t even remember her being here,” one veteran Statehouse observer said.
A person entering a legislative body, whether it be at the Statehouse or in Washington, usually chooses one of two ways to operate — as an attention grabbing outsiders like Reps. Seth Moulton and Ayanna Pressley, or a quiet insiders, like Reps. Richard Neal of Springfield or James McGovern of Worcester, and now Clark.
Neal is chairman of the House ways and Means Committee, while McGovern heads the House Rules Committee.
The key to Cark’s rise to prominence in the House is her ability to work at the job — representing her district, forging House alliances, raising campaign money and climbing the Democrat political ladder.
You may not agree with her leftist views, but have to admire her ability to play the inside game.
From the start of her Congressional career Clark, a progressive, zeroed in on her goal to become a leader in the House, and she succeeded by forging alliances along the way.
One of the alliances was with New York Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the chair of the House Democrat Caucus. Clark had been vice chair.
The pair are in line to move up even higher, considering that the combined age of the three current leaders in the House comes to 241 years. That’s as old as the country.
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