Caribbean-American Democratic Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke on Tuesday, June 23, easily won her Democratic primary race as she seeks re-election to the House of of Representatives.
With a total of 44,694 votes counted in the predominantly Caribbean 9th Congressional District in Brooklyn, Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, garnered 29,670 votes, or 66.38%.
Among her challengers, Mike Goldfarb received 6,686 votes, or 14.96%, and Joshua A. Bristol obtained 6,372 votes, or 14.26%.
There were 1,269 blanks, or 2.84%; 147 voids, or 0.33%; and 147 write-ins, or 1.23%.
“Tonight, I am grateful to the voters of New York’s 9th Congressional District for once again placing their trust in me,” said Clarke, the chair of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) her victory speech Tuesday night. “I am honored to earn the Democratic nomination and look forward to continuing the fight for the community that raised me.
“New York’s 9th Congressional District is one of the most vibrant and diverse communities in America,” she added. “It is a beautiful mosaic of people from Brooklyn, across the United States and around the world, united by a shared belief in opportunity, justice, and community.
“While we celebrate tonight, we know the work ahead remains urgent,” the congresswoman continued. “Too many families are struggling with the rising cost of housing, healthcare, and everyday necessities.”
At the same time, the congresswoman said the American democracy “faces serious challenges,” and that “millions are still waiting for an immigration system that reflects our values.
“That is why I remain committed to fighting for comprehensive immigration reform, affordable housing, accessible healthcare, and an economy that works for everyone—not just the wealthy and well-connected,” she said, thanking “every voter, volunteer, supporter, clergy and community leader who made this victory possible.
“I am humbled by your support and ready to continue fighting for the people of Brooklyn,” Clarke added. “Together, we will keep building a stronger and more equitable future for our community and our country. Onwards to November.”
In her re-election bid, Clarke told Caribbean Life that “proven fighters” are currently needed in the US Congress.
“The stakes could not be higher, and my determination for this community could not be stronger,” she said. “We have to fight like our lives depend on it. Act like our nation’s future is on the line. Vote like our livelihoods depend on it, because they do.”
The congresswoman said she takes her passion for her Caribbean heritage to Congress, where she also co-chairs the Congressional Caribbean Caucus and works to foster relationships between the United States and the Caribbean Community.
Clarke is a senior member of the US House of Representatives’ Energy and Commerce Committee, and has been a CBC member since coming to Congress in 2007.
As the representative of the 9th Congressional District, she said she has dedicated herself to continuing the “legacy of excellence” established by the late Congresswoman Shirley Chisholm, the daughter of Barbadian and Guyanese immigrants, and the first Black woman and Caribbean American elected to Congress.
Clarke is also one of the co-chairs of the Congressional Caucus on Black Women and Girls, which develops programs to support the aspirations of Black women of all ages.
Additionally, she is co-chair of the Medicare for All Caucus, where she said she fights for the right to universal health care.
Before being elected to the US House of Representatives, Clarke served on New York’s City Council, representing the 40th District in Brooklyn.
She succeeded her pioneering, Jamaican-born, mother, former New York City Council Member Dr. Una S. T. Clarke, making them the first mother-daughter succession in the City Council’s history.
In other keys races in the New York Democratic Primary in which Caribbean candidates contested, Trinidadian-born, New York State Assemblymember Jaime Williams staved off a spirited challenge in retaining the 59th Assembly District seat in Brooklyn from Jibreel Jalloh, whom she described as a “Socialist-backed candidate.”
With a total of 6,490 votes, Williams received 4,172 votes, or 64.28%, to Jalloh’s 2,138 votes, or 32.94%.
There were 83 blanks, or 1.28%; 82 voids, or 1.26%; and 15 write-ins, or 0.23%.
Williams had received a broad coalition of support that includes elected officials, labor organizations, faith leaders and community advocates from across Brooklyn.
Her district comprises the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Canarsie, Flatlands, Mill Basin, Marine Park, Bergen Beach, Georgetown, and surrounding communities.
Williams said the support reflects years of working alongside residents and stakeholders in securing resources, funding, and opportunities that benefit local families.
“I am grateful for the support of so many community leaders, organizations, and elected officials who share my commitment to serving the people of our district,” she said. “Together, we have worked to bring resources, investments, and opportunities to our neighborhoods.
“And I look forward to continuing that work on behalf of the families, seniors, homeowners, and young people who call this community home,” she added.
She said has “consistently focused” on bringing resources and funding back to the 59th Assembly District while working to address quality-of-life concerns and economic challenges facing local residents.
“With affordability impacting families across our district, the stakes in this election are simply too high,” Williams said. “We need experienced leadership that understands how to bring resources, funding, and opportunities to our communities.”
In the 43rd Assembly District in Brooklyn, New York State Assembly Member Brian Cunningham, the son of Jamaican immigrants, won the Primary hands-down.
With a total of 12, 506 votes, Cunningham received 9,810 votes, or 78.44%.
His lone challenger, Ahron Gluck, received 2, 245 votes, or 17.95%.
There were 343 blanks, or 2.74%; 21 voids, or 0.17%; and 87 write-ins, or 0.70%.
In a bitterly contested race for the female district leadership in the 58th Assembly District in Brooklyn, New York State Assembly Member Monique Chandler-Waterman, the daughter of Jamaican and Barbadian immigrants and representative for the district, dethroned the district leader, Haitian-born New York City Council Member Mercedes Narcisse.
A district leader is a representative elected by registered Democrats in their Assembly District to serve on the New York State Democratic Committee, which is the official governing body of the state party.
The role involves nominating judges, voting on party rules, platform positions, and party leadership at the state level.
It’s an elected but unpaid position, and it runs on a two-year cycle tied to the Primary calendar.
Narcisse, a registered nurse by training, said she was running for re-election as the Democratic State Committee Member, otherwise known as district leader, for the 58th Assembly District.
“It is an unpaid role, but it is how East Flatbush, Canarsie, Crown Heights, and Brownsville (neighborhoods in Brooklyn) keep a voice where the real decisions get made,” she said.
With 99% of scanners reported, 10, 964 votes were counted, with Chandler-Waterman receiving 4,566 votes, or 41.65%, and Narcisse garnering 2, 974 votes, or 27.13%.
New York State Senator Kevin Parker, running for male district leader, received 3, 391 votes, or 30.93%.
There were 33 write-in votes, or .30%.
In her victory speech, Chandler-Waterman said she was “grateful for the voters, who have put their trust in me to serve as their State Committee Member.
“Our neighbors have voted for real Democratic leadership that puts accountability, integrity, and transparency first,” she said. “I will proudly bring these values and the voice of the people to my work, strengthening our Brooklyn Democratic Party and helping select fair, qualified, and diverse judges.
“It is my honor to take on this responsibility, and to continue representing the 58th Assembly District in Albany (New York State capital),” Chandler-Waterman continued. “Thank you to my community for this victory, which belongs to every one of us.”
