U.S. House, Massachusetts 5th Congressional District · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in Massachusetts's 5th Congressional District?
Katherine Clark has the strongest record in Massachusetts's 5th Congressional District. Katherine Clark scores 65 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 9, 2026. Katherine Clark's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Democratic · incumbent
Strongest record
Katherine Clark
On the ballot as Katherine M. Clark
65 / 100
Public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 80
- Performance
- 67
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Katherine Clark
- Mark against2021-08
Reported 19 of her husband's June 4, 2021 stock transactions in an August 2021 filing, past the STOCK Act's 45-day deadline.
Sources: House Clerk periodic transaction report, Filing ID 20019340, FOX Business, Sept. 7, 2021, Business Insider via Yahoo News
- On the record2026-07-15
As House Democratic Whip voted Aye on the Massie amendment to end U.S. aid to Israel, which Leader Jeffries opposed; it failed.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 243, July 15, 2026, WBUR, July 16, 2026
- On the record2025-03-08
Held an in-person town hall in Waltham with Attorney General Andrea Campbell; the hall and overflow room filled, and some attendees objected to the time left for questions.
Source: Waltham Times, March 9, 2025
- On the record2025-08-18
Said on Aug. 18, 2025 that she was not accusing Israel of genocide, after using the word 'genocide' about Gaza at an Aug. 14 event in her district.
Sources: Boston Globe, Aug. 19, 2025, Telegram & Gazette (USA TODAY Network), via Yahoo, Aug. 20, 2025
- On the record2022-07-19
Was arrested with other members of Congress at an abortion rights civil disobedience protest outside the Supreme Court on July 19, 2022; Capitol Police listed charges including crowding, obstructing and incommoding.
Sources: CBS Boston (WBZ), July 19, 2022, WHDH 7News, July 19, 2022
- Credit2022-12-29
Sponsored H.R. 7073, the Into the Light for Maternal Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Act; its provisions were enacted in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023.
- Credit2018-12-20
Sponsored H.R. 909, the Pet and Women Safety Act; its provisions were enacted in the farm bill, H.R. 2, signed Dec. 20, 2018.
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Katherine Clark. Reported 19 of her husband's June 2021 stock transactions in an August 2021 filing, past the 45-day STOCK Act deadline, as FOX Business and Business Insider reported. No House Ethics Committee action or FEC fine found.
Sources: House Clerk periodic transaction report, Filing ID 20019340, FOX Business, Sept. 7, 2021, Business Insider via Yahoo News, updated Jan. 3, 2023, FEC administrative fines search
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Katherine Clark. As House Democratic Whip voted against Leader Jeffries four times in 2026, including Aye on the Massie amendment to end U.S. aid to Israel on July 15, 2026, which Jeffries opposed and which failed.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 243, July 15, 2026, Massie amendment to H.R. 8595, WBUR, July 16, 2026, House Clerk Roll Call 238, July 14, 2026, Sunshine Protection Act
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Katherine Clark. Held an open in-person town hall in Waltham with the attorney general in March 2025 and appeared at a Waltham Democratic candidates' event in July 2026. Did not respond to a Watertown group's August 2026 primary forum invitation.
Sources: Waltham Times, March 9, 2025, Waltham Times, July 28, 2026, Watertown News, July 31, 2026
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Katherine Clark. Has served on the Melrose School Committee, in both chambers of the Massachusetts legislature and in Congress since 2013, now as Democratic Whip. No censure, reprimand or House Ethics Committee finding names her.
Sources: Office site, Biography, House Committee on Ethics site search for Clark
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Katherine Clark. Voted Nay on both January 2021 objections to certified electors and made no objection in January 2017. No official finding of misuse of office.
Sources: House Clerk Roll Call 10, Jan. 6, 2021, House Clerk Roll Call 11, Jan. 7, 2021
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Katherine Clark. In the U.S. House since December 2013, after serving as a Massachusetts state senator and state representative.
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Katherine Clark. House Democratic Whip since 2023 (E5), previously Assistant Speaker and a senior Appropriations Committee member; publishes issue pages on her office site.
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Katherine Clark. Offers an e-newsletter and issue pages and held an in-person town hall in 2025. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 survey and did not complete the 2024 one.
Sources: Office site, home page, Office site, Biography, Waltham Times, March 9, 2025, Ballotpedia, Katherine Clark
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Katherine Clark. Lives in Revere, in the district, and earlier served Melrose, also in the district, on its school committee. FEC by-state totals for 2025 to 2026 show about 25 percent of itemized individual contributions from Massachusetts.
Sources: MA Secretary of the Commonwealth, 2026 State Election Candidates (Wayback capture Sept. 20, 2026), Office site, About the District, Office site, Biography, FEC contribution totals by state
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Katherine Clark. Campaign committee reports are on file with the FEC through Aug. 12, 2026, with no debts owed by the committee. No FEC administrative fine found.
Sources: FEC candidate page, FEC administrative fines search
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Katherine Clark. Legislative Effectiveness Score of 0.052 in the 118th Congress against a benchmark of 0.543, below expectations, in her first term as Whip. Raised to 2 under E14: her Into the Light Act was enacted in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023.
Sources: Center for Effective Lawmaking House dataset, 93rd to 118th Congress, GovTrack, H.R. 7073 (117th Congress), GovTrack, enacted legislation
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Katherine Clark. Missed 87 of 6,971 roll call votes, 1.2 percent, from December 2013 to September 2026.
Source: GovTrack, missed votes
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Katherine Clark. Keeps a district office in Malden, holds monthly office hours in district towns plus virtual office hours, and offers casework with federal agencies. No published casework totals found.
Sources: Office site, home page, Office site, Office Hours, Office site, Casework
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Katherine Clark. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 9, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in Massachusetts's 5th Congressional District?
Katherine Clark has the strongest record in Massachusetts's 5th Congressional District. Katherine Clark scores 65 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 9, 2026. Katherine Clark's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in Massachusetts's 5th Congressional District in 2026?
Katherine Clark (Democratic, incumbent). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Katherine Clark a good candidate for Congress?
Katherine Clark scores 65 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 13 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 80 of 100, performance 67 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every Massachusetts race scored, and the Massachusetts 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.