Rep. Katherine Clark (D-MA) elected vice-chair of the Democratic Caucus.

[StevieM]

Link to tweet

[Cha]

1. Congratulations to Katherine Clark!

[Hortensis]

2. Yes, and DCCC chairman Ben Lujan is moving up also,

elected by acclimation after his role in our blue wave sweep to the #4 spot, putting a Hispanic caucus member in top leadership. Lujan is 46 and has been in congress 9 years, a NM state government position before.

Katherine Clark is 55, in congress 5 years, in the MA house and senate before that. She's a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus and at #6 will be the second-highest ranking woman behind Pelosi.

Apparently there are about a dozen positions total to fill, including one reserved for a junior member, who must have served 5 terms or less. Hakeem Jeffries, elected this morning as Democratic Caucus Chairman said “It’s like the shortest transition in American history" because the first task is to oversee the rest of the leadership races today and tomorrow.

[George II]

4. They're being justly rewarded for their hard work to bring us that HUGE blue wave. Great to see!

[Hortensis]

7. Yes. :) It was so nice to read that he was elected

with such strong support from his colleagues. Clark helped recruit and then cochaired the effort to get our candidates elected, flying all over the country, and was elected over an apparently fairly strong competitor.

This is from a good article describing something of what they were doing for the past two years:

“Our strategy from the get-go was to flood the zone with high-quality candidates,” said Denny Heck, chairman of the DCCC’s recruitment effort and a representative from Washington. Clark, Heck said, “stood out in all 92” of the party’s toughest races. “I adore the ground the woman walks on,” he said. ..

She offered moral support to Dan McCready, who narrowly lost in North Carolina’s Ninth District and whose fourth child was born during the campaign. To show how she handled the work-life balance, Clark — who has three boys — texted him a picture a friend once surreptitiously took of her messy kitchen, the island cluttered with condiment bottles, an open peanut butter jar, and other detritus. It made him feel better, she said.

www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2018/11/12/key-campaign-role-representative-katherine-clark-helped-democrats-gain-control-house/2LccrJMyqiZQFs3WCZqpNM/story.html

[smirkymonkey]

3. Congratulations Katherine!

She was a friend and sorority sister of mine in college. A very intelligent and competent person. Excellent choice!

[StevieM]

6. I am sure she will be a great caucus vice-chair, and perhaps chair someday.

It may happen soon, since I think Hoyer is likely to retire in 2020 and the rest of the leadership will move up.

I also wonder if Ben Ray Lujan will be considered for VP on our next nominee's ticket. That could also open up a position on the leadership ladder. Of course, if he stays in the House of Representatives then he is likely to be a future Speaker of the House.

[StevieM]

5. Replying to my own post in order to give another link to an article about the race.

https://www.rollcall.com/news/politics/katherine-clark-elected-house-democratic-caucus-vice-chair

Massachusetts Rep. Katherine M. Clark was elected House Democratic Caucus vice chair for the 116th Congress, handily beating California Rep. Pete Aguilar.

The vote tally was 144-90.

Clark’s election to the No. 6 leadership position makes her the highest-ranking woman in the caucus, behind Nancy Pelosi, assuming the Democratic leader wins the Jan. 3 speaker election on the floor.

"It is truly an honor to be elected by your colleagues," she said. "Pete Aguilar is a friend and someone I admire a great deal, so I am relieved to have the race over. It's never fun to run against someone that you like so much."

She and Aguilar are both appropriators and well-respected within the caucus but with different ideological bases of support. Clark is a member of the Congressional Progressive Caucus, while Aguilar is a member of the more moderate New Democrat Coalition.

[seaglass]

8. She was co-leader of the House sit in with John Lewis for gun control, she is awesome.

As is John Lewis of course!

http://time.com/4380310/house-sitin-congress-gun-control-katherine-clark/

and John Lewis' endorsement:

https://katherineclark.house.gov/index.cfm/press-releases?ID=ECEA35BF-0705-4A8C-B51E-11F00ED043B6