Yvette Clarke: Campaigns and Elections
Yvette Clarke's electoral career began on the New York City Council and moved to Congress in 2006. She has held her Brooklyn House seat through ten general elections, weathering one serious primary challenge along the way, and is seeking re-election in 2026.
New York City Council Elections
Clarke first won elective office in 2001, capturing the New York City Council's 40th District seat previously held by her mother, Una Clarke, and serving from 2002 through 2006. The mother-to-daughter transition was the first such succession in the Council's history. 1
2006 Congressional Election
Clarke entered congressional politics after an unsuccessful 2004 primary challenge to incumbent Major Owens. When Owens retired in 2006, Clarke ran in a crowded and closely watched Democratic primary for New York's 11th Congressional District against candidates including David Yassky, Carl Andrews, and Chris Owens, the incumbent's son. The contest drew attention for its racial dynamics. Clarke prevailed in the primary and won the general election, taking office in January 2007.
2008 through 2016 Re-elections
After her 2006 win, Clarke was re-elected repeatedly in her heavily Democratic Brooklyn district, facing little serious primary competition for much of this period. Her district was renumbered from the 11th to the 9th Congressional District following the 2012 redistricting cycle, and she continued to win by wide margins.
2018 Primary Challenge
In 2018, Clarke faced her most serious intraparty test from Adem Bunkeddeko, a Harvard Business School graduate and community board member who won an endorsement from The New York Times. Clarke narrowly prevailed, winning by a little over a thousand votes in a race not called until late on election night. She went on to win the general election.
2020 Rematch
Bunkeddeko challenged Clarke again in 2020, along with other candidates, but Clarke defeated him in the rematch and secured re-election. Commentators noted the contrast with her earlier near-loss.
2022 and 2024 Re-elections
Clarke won re-election in 2022 and again in 2024. In the November 2024 general election she defeated Republican Menachem Raitport, taking about 74 percent of the vote in a contest concentrated in Brooklyn.
2026 Election Cycle
Clarke is seeking re-election in 2026. The New York primary is scheduled for June 23, 2026, with the general election on November 3, 2026. Clarke faces Democratic primary challengers including Joshua Bristol, Michael Goldfarb, and Joshua Kaitan Lucas. Republican candidates including Joel Anabilah-Azumah and Jean Depalis have filed for their party's primary. General-election matchups will be set following the primaries.
Fundraising and Campaign Operations
Clarke's campaigns are tracked by federal disclosure databases, and her fundraising profile is maintained by organizations such as OpenSecrets. As a senior incumbent in a safe Democratic district, she has generally enjoyed strong institutional and party support, with her most competitive threats coming from within the Democratic primary rather than from the general election.