Yvette Clarke Wins Primary For Ninth Congressional District Seat

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK — Rep. Yvette Clarke defeated upstart challenger Adem Bunkeddeko in a tight Tuesday night primary election, essentially securing herself another term for the central Brooklyn seat.

Clarke, who's held the Ninth Congressional District seat for more than a decade, faced a tough primary challenge for the first time in years from the 30-year-old Community Board 8 member but was still able to narrowly win the election by a little over 1,000 votes. The race went down to the wire and was only called by the Associated Press at 11:41 p.m.

Her primary win generally secures her seat in November's general election because the Ninth District — which covers Park Slope, Brownsville, Crown Heights, Flatbush, Midwood, Prospect Heights, Sheepshead Bay and Windsor Terrace — traditionally votes Democratic. She'll still need to defeat Republican Lutchi Gayot to reclaim her post.

Despite the loss, first time candidate Bunkeddeko had a strong showing Tuesday night with the most support coming from voters in Park Slope and Prospect Heights, according to election maps. Clarke fared better in neighborhoods like Brownsville and Flatbush which help carried her to victory.

Clarke, a former City Council member who succeeded her mother, first won the seat in 2006 in a controversial, racial charged 2006 election against David Yassky, Carl Andrews and Chris Owens, the New York Observer reported.

She faced little competition for the seat since then until Harvard Business School grad Bunkeddeko threw his hat in the race for this year's primary.

Bunkeddeko vowed to fight for criminal justice reform, ending school segregation, gun control and more if elected, while Clarke's campaign focused on women's rights, health care equality, immigrants rights and improved housing in the district.

Even with an endorsement from the New York Times, Bunkeddeko was unable to unseat the longtime congresswoman Tuesday night. He faced an uphill battle as the last time an incumbent Democrat lost a congressional primary in the city was in 1992, until Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez defeated powerful Queens Democratic party chairman Joe Crowley in this primary.

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