Get to Know Your Candidates: Massachusetts 5th Congressional District
The MA primaries will be here before we know it on September 1st, with the midterms following close behind on November 3rd.
Massachusetts 5th Congressional District incumbent Katherine Clark, who has served the district since 2013, is being challenged by organizer and former Waltham City Councilor Jonathan Paz and union organizer and researcher Tarik Samman. Restaurant-owner Derek Fleming is running as an independent in the general election.
At Mass 50501, we believe that empowered citizens power a stronger democracy. We reached out to all four candidates to hear their thoughts on impeachment, ICE, Flock, AI, and more. The questions we sent and the answers we received are below. All answers were limited to 100 words; lengthier responses were edited to fit, with the intent to preserve as much of the original meaning as possible. Answers were also lightly copy edited for spelling, punctuation, and grammar. We sincerely thank Clark, Fleming, Paz and Samman for sharing their thoughts with the people of Massachusetts.
Questions researched and compiled by Mike B. and Via Luino.
Question 1
The Trump administration has sought to influence our nation’s electoral process through measures such as accessing state voter rolls and limiting the delivery of mail-in ballots. As a Congressional representative under a continued Trump administration, how would you protect Americans’ voting rights and the integrity of our electoral process before, during, and after the 2028 federal elections?
Clark
I’m fighting back against Republican voter suppression with every tool I have.
I’m working with House Democrats and our partners to challenge election interference and gerrymandering in the courts, and we’re coordinating voter protection resources across the country—investing early in programs that monitor election administration, train poll observers, conduct security exercises with key states, and manage ballot‑curing operations before and after Election Day.
But I know that holding the line isn’t enough. When Democrats retake the House, a top priority will be restoring the heart of the Voting Rights Act through the John R. Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act.
Paz
The federal government should not be allowed to manipulate elections, suppress voters, or interfere with elections for partisan purposes. I support restoring and expanding the For the People Act, including automatic voter registration, Election Day registration, expanded early voting, protections against partisan gerrymandering, and other measures that make voting accessible to working people. I support restoring voting rights to incarcerated people.
I would use congressional oversight aggressively to investigate attempts by the executive branch to interfere with or undermine our elections. I would not hesitate to use all available methods to enforce Congress’ constitutional responsibility to oversee the executive branch.
*Edited from 202 words to 100 words.
Samman
I would lead the effort to impeach the president and remove him from office, as part of Congress reclaiming the authority it has ceded to the executive. Voting rights are where that surrender costs Americans most. Before 2028, I would fight to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Advancement Act and fund local election offices. During the election, I would oppose any federal interference in how states run elections and defend on time mail ballot delivery. Afterward, I would defend certification without exception.
Fleming
Elections are supposed to be run by the states and that needs to remain the law of the land. Let's pass legislation reinforcing this rule and keep the federal government's hands out of the elections. Yes, elections should be free and fair. Let's pass common sense legislation that aims to show voters everywhere that elections have been and will continue to be secure and fair.
Question 2
Since January 2025, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have been deployed in American communities, where they have detained immigrants in record numbers. They have also been involved in increasingly violent episodes, including the high profile murders of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, the detention of five-year-old Liam Conejo Ramos, and the reported deaths of 52 people who were being held in custody. What do you view as the appropriate scope of ICE as an agency, and how would you ensure nationwide adherence to that scope as a Congressional representative?
Clark
I won’t approve one penny for immigration enforcement until fundamental changes are enacted into federal law.
Arbitrary arrest quotas must be eliminated. Masks must come off. Roving patrols must end, judicial warrants must be secured before entering private property, and enforcement must be prohibited at sensitive locations like schools and places of worship.
Until then, I am participating in field hearings and conducting site visits at ICE facilities to shine more light on this agency's behavior. And when Democrats retake the House, I will use every power at the Majority’s disposal to hold ICE accountable.
Paz
I was 14 when my father was deported, separating my family. I've worked directly with immigrant communities, including helping establish Fuerza Waltham and supporting rapid-response during ICE raids.
I would work to abolish ICE and create a humane immigration system. That means a pathway to citizenship, ending family separation, eliminating detention, creating independent immigration courts, and transferring legitimate functions (e.g., combating drugs and trafficking) to agencies capable of transparency.
I would vote to defund ICE and redirect the $170 billion back to communities. I support investigations, expanded right to sue, and aggressive oversight to expose unlawful and unconstitutional conduct.
*Edited from 198 words to 100 words.
Samman
Congress has a duty to oversee all governmental agencies. Congress also writes the laws those agencies must enforce and can withhold funding if they violate the law or the Constitution. An agency like ICE, which has terrorized immigrant communities, detained students, and killed Americans, must be defunded, abolished, and replaced. Its replacement must respect the human rights of everyone it engages with, act within the bounds of the law, and be held accountable when it breaks that law.
Fleming
I believe there is a place for an immigration enforcement agency in America; I want a strong but secure immigration process. What we’ve seen under this administration is abhorrent and unacceptable. Both parties need to come together and publicly denounce the treatment of fellow humans that have been assaulted and killed at the hands of ICE agents. Those agents and incidents must be investigated. We should reduce ICE’s scope and budget. If ICE is going to operate inside the US, they need to be invited or requested by state, local, or federal police agencies. Otherwise ICE should stay at borders.
*Edited from 122 words to 100 words.
Question 3
Do you currently support impeachment and removal of Donald Trump or other members of his administration? If not, under what circumstances would you support impeachment and removal of the president or administration members?
Clark
All options are on the table. Democrats must be prepared to use all available avenues for holding the crooks in this administration accountable, especially Donald Trump.
We also need to be clear-eyed that Congressional Republicans can’t be counted on to summon the spine or moral clarity to choose country over party. Democrats must be prepared to fully utilize the tools we’re able to use on our own—particularly the subpoena powers we’ll gain when we retake the House.
Paz
Yes, Trump should have been impeached for numerous crimes: obstruction of Congress, abuses of power, and incitement of insurrection. Congress must hold presidents and federal officials accountable.
Impeachment shouldn’t be a partisan weapon. It should be used when an official abuses power, violates constitutional obligations, engages in corruption, or places personal interests above public trust. I affirm that standard regardless of party. I support accountability “up to and including impeachment” when warranted.
Congress needs to reclaim oversight and balance in constitutional power. If an administration refuses lawful congressional oversight, I support impeachment proceedings and, where the evidence warrants it, removal.
*Edited from 149 words to 100 words.
Samman
As alluded to in my response to the first question, the impeachment power is meant to protect the nation from what Hamilton called a miscarriage of administration. It is difficult to dispute that the current administration is utterly violating the founding precepts of the federal government. Take House Resolution 1155 as an example of several key articles of impeachment against Donald Trump. It is a shame that members of Congress have not upheld their oath to defend the Constitution against all enemies, foreign and domestic. I would emphatically support the impeachment and removal of Donald Trump.
Fleming
I will support impeachment and removal if and when I see properly-displayed evidence of high crimes and misdemeanors. I would also only support impeachment proceedings if there were a high likelihood of a senate conviction and removal. I don't support putting the country through this and spending the time and money on this if there is virtually no chance of getting a conviction.
Question 4
Since the beginning of 2026, the Trump administration has initiated military action without Congressional approval, including the kidnapping of Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro as well as the bombing of civilian targets in Iran and a threat that their “civilization will die tonight.” What is the appropriate role of Congressional approval in military action, and how will you ensure that Congress performs this level of oversight over current and future military actions?
Clark
The surest way to reassert Congress’ war powers is to throw Republicans out of power. Over the last two years, House Republicans have fully and shamelessly abdicated their most basic constitutional responsibilities.
But even in the minority, I helped force the passage of a War Powers Resolution directing Trump to end his illegal war with Iran and forced additional votes on Venezuela and Lebanon. With a Democratic Majority, we will use Congress’ power of the purse and oversight authority to bring American troops home, end the bloodshed, and get this administration under control.
Paz
The President cannot initiate military conflicts, conduct regime-change operations, or escalate wars without congressional authorization. The U.S. should prioritize diplomacy, international cooperation, sovereignty, and human rights.
Presidents must seek Congressional authorization before sustained military hostilities. I would use the power of the purse, War Powers authorities, oversight hearings, reporting requirements, and, when necessary, legislation requiring the withdrawal of unauthorized forces.
I would demand accountability for civilian casualties and potential violations of international law—whether committed by the U.S., our allies, or adversaries. The U.S. must become a party to the Rome Statute and join the International criminal court.
*Edited from 352 words to 100 words.
Samman
As a member of Congress, I would not take my oath to uphold the Constitution lightly. Article One, Section Eight, Clause Eleven clearly states that only the legislative branch has the authority to declare war. Engaging in acts of war without congressional authorization is tantamount to the executive branch claiming the war power for itself. I would use the power of the purse to cut off funding for any military action Congress has not authorized, and I would push to repeal the outdated authorizations successive presidents have stretched to justify wars Congress never debated.
Fleming
Congress must be involved. Congress is currently spineless and unable to stop a madman’s mad plan of global military enforcement. If there is no lever to reign in this behavior, what is the constitution even for? We need both parties to agree this behavior is unacceptable and should be met with legislation that kicks in when war powers are abused. I want to see a Democrat admit that Obama was wrong to abuse war powers meant only for Iraq and Afghanistan by bombing 7 countries, standing side-by-side with a Republican saying that Trump is abusing war powers. Both are wrong.
*Edited from 150 words to 100 words
Question 5
Artificial Intelligence (AI)-powered surveillance cameras, such as those operated by Flock Safety, have been under increased scrutiny due to concerns about privacy and civil liberties, including but not limited to their use in tracking immigrants, restricting reproductive rights, and abuses by law enforcement officers. Recently, the FBI announced plans to buy nationwide access to surveillance cameras for warrantless tracking. What do you view as the appropriate usage and data-handling strategy for AI-powered surveillance cameras, and how will you work towards this strategy as a Congressional representative?
Clark
The widespread adoption of AI surveillance poses an unprecedented threat to the rights, dignity, and security of the American people.
While Trump and Republicans defer to companies like Flock and Palantir—even seeking to ban states from regulating AI at all—I’m working with my Democratic colleagues to develop a comprehensive policy framework for protecting the American people from out-of-control AI surveillance.
This regime’s use of federal agents as political, paramilitary enforcers underscores just how urgently these types of tools need to be regulated. AI tools cannot be allowed to serve as loopholes around our most basic constitutional protections.
Paz
Americans shouldn’t lose their constitutional rights simply because technology makes mass tracking possible.
I support strengthening Fourth Amendment protections for AI, facial recognition, data mining, and digital policing. Government agencies should need a judicial warrant before using surveillance technology. Data should never be repurposed for immigration enforcement, political, reproductive, or other non-criminal purposes.
Data collection must be minimized, retention shortened, and access strictly controlled and audited. Communities should control their data, know camera locations, what’s collected, who accesses data, retention periods, and data sharing settings.
I would use federal legislation, appropriations, privacy protections, and congressional oversight to establish nationwide standards.
*Edited from 164 words to 100 words.
Samman
Warrantless search and seizure are plainly an overreach of government over the civil liberties of people. The Fourth Amendment of the Constitution guarantees an individual's right to be “secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures.” The strategy that should be pursued is one that honors and respects this right of individuals not to be indiscriminately surveilled. I will work toward limiting the government's massive, dragnet surveillance of the population as a way to uphold this essential right and to honor the individual's right to be left alone.
Fleming
Much like everything else over the last 50 years, congress is late to the party with proper regulation. Clear AI legislative regulations should have been passed regarding this five or more years ago. Representatives need to take the pulse of their constituents about things like this. Talk to your people, ask them how this stuff makes them feel and how they think we should handle it. AI should never be allowed to be used to surveil Americans and since you can't conduct surveillance on only non-citizens or criminals without law-abiding citizens getting surveilled too then it needs to be banned.
*Edited from 105 words to 100 words.
Question 6
Massachusetts consistently ranks as one of the most expensive states to live in, with housing costs making up the lion’s share of those expenses. As a Congressional representative, how will you address the issue of high housing costs?
Clark
We need to build millions of new homes that are priced for people, not Wall Street. We need to help families put together that first down payment. We need to end unfair rent hikes. And we need to go after big corporate landlords.
Even in the minority, I helped score an important win with the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act — enacting the biggest piece of housing legislation in decades over Donald Trump’s opposition. When Democrats retake the House, we can go even further in expanding supply, lowering costs, and boosting tenant protections.
Paz
Housing is a human right. The housing crisis is a national emergency. I support massive federal investment in publicly-owned, nonprofit, social, and mixed-income housing, rent stabilization, stronger eviction protections, a national just-cause eviction standard, expanding tenants' access to legal representation, and repealing the Faircloth Amendment.
I would fight corporate housing ownership and give tenants opportunities to purchase their buildings before acquisition. Federal transportation and housing funding would help eliminate exclusionary zoning and increase the supply of affordable housing connected to transit, jobs, and services. We shouldn't solve the crisis by creating sacrifice zones or forcing working families away from necessities.
*Edited from 184 words to 100 words.
Samman
There are many causes for high housing costs. One is that large corporate landowners and private equity firms are buying up properties for returns on their investment. This squeezes ordinary workers out of the prospect of affording housing. I will neutralize the influence of corporate lobbies that write laws protecting corporate wealth and power. I will draft and support legislation to build affordable housing, help first time buyers purchase a home, and ensure tenants have access to legal support when they need it. Finally, I will collaborate with cities to cut through the bureaucratic red tape that delays home construction.
Fleming
During the incumbent's tenure, housing costs rose sharply. (Rents up 133%, home prices 127%, and new mortgages 185% since January 2014.) This is a huge part of the reason I’m running. The band-aid approach of increasing housing subsidies has never and will never work! We need publicly-owned, built, and managed affordable housing that is not a handout but a self-sustaining, cost-neutral program. This can increase supply and rental competition while stabilizing rents. I would move to ban publicly-owned companies, hedge funds, and large property management companies from owning single-family homes and duplexes to reduce competition in the home buying market.
*Edited from 135 words to 100 words.
Question 7
Many Americans are concerned about the permitting and construction of hyperscale data centers in their communities with limited consideration of community members’ feedback or impacts on energy consumption, water quality, air pollution, noise, or localized heat islands. As a Congressional representative, how would you address community approval and environmental impacts of data center construction?
Clark
Local residents deserve the power to determine if and how data center construction will impact their community.
From a federal perspective, we cannot allow working families to bear the price for corporate infrastructure — especially the immense burden data centers place on our power grids and local ecosystems. This has to be a key priority as we advance people-first AI policies in the coming months and years.
This is a rapidly developing issue, and I’m working closely with Governor Healey, state legislators, local leaders, and residents across MA-5 to make sure neighbors, not billionaires, decide the future of our communities.
Paz
I support a moratorium on data centers until we create regulations to mitigate harm, requiring public disclosure of energy and water consumption, provision of additional clean-energy capacity, and rigorous environmental review, with transparency around water use, air pollution, noise, and other impacts. Communities disproportionately affected by industrial development deserve enforceable protections. Environmental justice should be codified into federal law and incorporated into permitting decisions.
Technology should create opportunity for communities, not require them to subsidize the demands of billion-dollar technology companies. Residents deserve a meaningful voice in these decisions before they are made—not after a project has already been negotiated.
*Edited from 201 words to 100 words.
Samman
Data centers harm our environment and drive up utility costs for everyday Americans, a direct result of AI and big tech handlers operating unchecked and unregulated. To address this crisis, I support a moratorium on new hyperscale data center construction until we fully understand and mitigate their impacts. In Congress, I will require real environmental reviews, condition federal incentives on complete transparency regarding energy and water use, and give residents a binding say before construction begins.
Fleming
This is an AI question disguised as an environmental question. Congress has been too slow to enact needed AI regulations. The data centers AI requires might be necessary for continued American innovation in the space, which I support, but these centers need to be built with private money, on private land, use private resources, and have zero negative environmental impact on their communities or they need to be built elsewhere. These companies have unlimited funds. They need to use their budget to find a way to meet those qualifications before they can continue harvesting the knowledge of all of humanity.
*Edited from 114 words to 100 words.
Question 8
Amidst the rapid growth of AI, many Americans are concerned about risks such as AI-generated misinformation, AI-related self-harm, and nonconsensual use of our work and our data. As a Congressional representative, how will you ensure that emerging computational capabilities benefit Massachusetts residents and mitigate harm?
Clark
The United States has to continue leading on AI innovation, but never at the expense of our jobs, our privacy, or our kids’ safety. Congress must move swiftly to set some ground rules for this new technology — putting the American people in the driver’s seat, not the White House’s favorite tech billionaires.
Recently, I was proud to help enact the TAKE IT DOWN Act, which criminalizes the publication of non-consensual intimate imagery, including deepfakes created with AI. This legislation is just the beginning of what we need to protect our kids and ensure innovation is harnessed to benefit regular people.
Paz
We need a people's AI, to reclaim people’s intellectual property, a Digital Bill of Rights, responsible regulation, misinformation safeguards, and financial oversight.
States should retain the ability to enact protections.
People should have strong rights over their data. We need protections like the EU’s GDPR, accountability for violations, protection for workers/creators, and rules requiring consent, attribution, compensation, copyright protections, privacy, and transparency.
AI-generated misinformation/manipulation require safeguards, while protecting political speech, journalism, satire, and dissent. With AI-powered high-stakes decisions, people deserve transparency, due process, and the ability to challenge decisions.
Corporations shouldn’t monopolize AI technology, data, and wealth.
*Edited from 409 words to 99 words.
Samman
AI is going unchecked while a handful of companies consolidate control over it. Once in office, I will create a path forward to regulate AI and make sure it benefits Massachusetts residents. I will fight to ensure AI is environmentally clean, safe, transparent, free from bias, and that it creates jobs rather than killing them. I will also impose strict limits on how agencies collect and use our personal data, end unaccountable AI in law enforcement, and prohibit public officials and PACs from using AI to generate misleading campaign ads and videos.
Fleming
Clear and enforceable repercussions for AI-generated mis- and disinformation need to be set in the AI regulations I've mentioned already. Strict penalties for harmful misinformation and for nonconsensual use of work need to be set including but not limited to suspension of AI products and massive financial liability need to be painted into these laws. I'd like to say again: this should have been done years ago but status quo representatives have been too slow to act and have failed the American people yet again.
Question 9
Recent elections have drawn increased scrutiny for heavy spending by political action committees (PACs) in support or opposition of different candidates. How do you personally conduct your campaign to amplify your constituents’ needs over spending by external PACs?
Clark
I have been fighting to unwind the deluge of corporate and billionaire money that has flooded our elections since Citizens United. That will mean enacting a total overhaul of our federal campaign finance system.
I’m proud to have helped pass Democrats’ For the People Act out of the House, and I will ensure it remains a top Democratic priority until it’s signed into law. In addition to strengthening ethics laws and protecting voting rights, this legislation would establish a small donor matching system and mandate that any organization engaged in political activity disclose its major donors.
Paz
My campaign is people-powered, not donor-powered.
I’ve pledged not to take money from corporate PACs or foreign-lobbies. My campaign is built around grassroots organizing, small-dollar contributions, volunteers, town halls, and conversations with constituents. I will ensure the people most affected by legislation have a meaningful role in shaping it. When a member of Congress depends on corporations, wealthy donors, or outside PACs, those interests gain greater access and influence than ordinary constituents. My constituents won’t compete with corporate lobbyists for access to their Congress-person.
I support public financing of elections, overturning Citizens United, and stronger restrictions on corporate political spending.
*Edited from 212 words to 100 words.
Samman
Since day one, I have refused PAC donations. That means depending on small contributions from individuals and running with fewer resources than the incumbent. But it is the surest way to show voters they are the ones I answer to. To amplify my constituents' needs, I have been on the ground knocking doors, talking with local businesses, and meeting community leaders who understand what their communities face. I have also made myself easy to reach. Anyone can request a callback on my website, and I will call within the hour. I am proud to have taken hundreds of these calls.
Fleming
Unlike the incumbent I don't and never will take any corporate or PAC donations. People should be the only ones funding campaigns. Leadership PAC money is dirty and comes from the same corporations and private PACs that fund candidates directly. Raising money from these sources is how people like the incumbent get into positions of power. The speakership and whip positions don't go to the representatives who pass the most bills through committees or co-author or co-sponsor the most bills, it's who will spend the time shamelessly calling mega-donors and raise the most money for the party possible. It's despicable!
*Edited from 111 words to 100 words.
Election day will be here before we know it! Double-check your registration status and make a plan to hit the polls with a friend. If you are intending to vote early or via an absentee ballot, you can find relevant information here. You can register to vote in Massachusetts up to ten days before the election. Additional voting resources are available via our Good Trouble Lives On coalition site. Your voice matters. Your vote matters. Use it!
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