Katherine Clark of Massachusetts will be first woman to serve as House majority leader, Hakeem Jeffries says

Massachusetts Congresswoman Katherine Clark is set to make history as the first woman to become a majority leader in Congress, the leader of the House Democrats said Wednesday.

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, widely expected to be elected the next speaker of the House after Democrats won big in the 2026 midterm elections, introduced Clark at a press conference as "the next majority leader of the House of Representatives" and "someone who will be the first woman to ever serve in that position in our 250-year journey."

Clark, the current House minority whip who lives in Revere, was elected to Congress in 2013 to replace now-Sen. Ed Markey. The 63-year-old said she was proud to "make history" as part of the new majority.

"In the words of the great Dolly Parton, it's been a long hard fight, but I see a brand new day a-dawning," Clark said.

Clark has been outspoken about childcare issues, introducing the Babies Act in 2022 to support new mothers with more access to birth centers and midwives. She also bashed President Trump's "One Big Beautiful Bill" last year, calling it "incredibly cruel" for making cuts to Medicaid and food stamps. 

Clark still needs to be elected by her House colleagues to become majority leader in the new Congress. She said Wednesday that Americans are trusting her party to do more than just "damage control" on the Trump administration.

"They have entrusted a Democratic Congress to lead us forward to something better, to make their lives easier," she said.