Second-highest-ranking House Democrat faces primary challenge from party's left flank

Rep Katherine Clark of Massachusetts the No House Democrat in party leadership is being primary challenged from the left as she seeks re-election next year Jonathan Paz an organizer and former city councilor in Waltham Massachusetts communicated in a video that he would challenge Clark the House minority whip who has represented a suburban Boston district for a dozen years Clark will likely be the highest-ranking Democrat in the House to face a primary challenge in next year's midterms when Democrats hope to win back the chamber's majority from the Republicans CONGRESSIONAL DEMOCRATS WIDEN BATTLEFIELDMinority Leader Hakeem Jeffries of New York the top Democrat in the House a limited weeks ago briefly faced a primary challenge from the left from New York City council member Chi Oss before Oss ended his bid WHAT MAMDANI STATED ABOUT HAKEEM JEFFRIES' PRIMARY CHALLENGERPaz who will face a steep uphill climb as he takes on Clark in his video highlighted I m challenging one of the bulk powerful Democrats in the House because we need new leadership Paz who not long ago founded a volunteer group that responds to ICE arrests and whose family emigrated from Bolivia argued that 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 The National Republican Congressional Committee NRCC the House GOP's campaign arm worked to link Paz's primary challenge against Clark to New York City's far left Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani In in the modern day s Democrat Party even their own radical leaders aren t extreme enough for the Mamdani Mob And they won t stop until total control is complete NRCC spokesman Mike Marinella argued in a message