Longtime Brooklyn congressional representative Yvette D. Clarke officially launched her re-election campaign last weekend, signaling the rapid approach of the June 2026 congressional primaries. For her, the stakes are high, given what Democrats are facing in Congress.
“The 9th District of New York is right in the bull’s eye of every cruel policy that this administration has cooked up,” said Clarke, who has held office in Congress since 2007, and currently serves as chair of the Congressional Black Caucus. “When you think about those communities across the U.S. that have drawn the hatred and bigotry of this administration … whether it’s around birthright citizenship or anti-DEI initiatives, it has really impacted the Ninth District of New York, so the battle for me is not one that is remote. It is very personal and it’s existential.”
The midterms this year will ultimately determine if Democrats can shift the balance of power away from the current Republican control of the Senate and House under President Donald Trump. Clarke has two main challengers this year in the primary and the election: Democrat Mike Goldfarb and Republican Jean Fritzner Depalis.
Clarke’s concerns before the midterms center on the potentially dire impacts of theSafeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act, which would require all voters to show proof of their citizenship at the polls. Political organizers say that move could disenfranchise millions of Black and Brown voters, married women, youth, seniors, rural voters, and transgender voters. It was passed in the House this February, but is not law as of this April.
In addition, the current Supreme Court case Louisiana v. Callais,a redistricting case that focuses on the constitutionality of Louisiana’s congressional map, may “gut” certain Voting Rights Act (VRA) protections, said Clarke.
“Being an outspoken voice around voting rights; being an outspoken voice around diversity, equity, and inclusion; being someone who is willing to be on the ground in community, helping to organize and empower the voters and the people of the community, is something that I get a lot of joy in doing, quite frankly,” she said. “I would say that that’s a part of my living legacy.”
Clark is a Flatbush native and the daughter of Jamaican immigrants. Her district includes 10 communities, very heavily populated by the West Indian community. In Congress, she co-chairs the Congressional Caribbean Caucus. Before being elected to the House of Representatives, she served on the city council succeeding her mother, former Councilmember Dr. Una S. T. Clarke. The district Clark has served for so long is heavily affected by the current economic crisis, so she also plans on hyperfocusing on immigration reform, the affordability crisis in the city, and regulating artificial intelligence (AI).
“The escalating costs of groceries, everyday provisions that people need to enjoy a quality of life to meet the needs of their families, [are] compounded by what is taking place right now in Washington,” said Clarke. “The tariffs were one thing. Now you add to that the war in Iran, and again, it’s compounded. The affordability crisis has not let up, and doesn’t show any sign of letting up.”
Pinpointing Trump’s “unnecessary” spat with Iran, Clarke slammed his plans to make critical budget cuts to help fund the war: $10.7 billion for housing, $8.5 billion for K–12 programs, $2.5 billion for clean drinking water, and $5 billion from the National Institutes of Health.
Clarke added that immigration reform is an issue that’s been dearly personal to her since her start in Congress. She said that the “foot dragging” is why the country is in the state it is in with rampant hostile anti-immigrant rhetoric.
“Finally, for me, I’ve been very focused on the emergence and integration of technology in the lives of the people that I represent and the nation at large, starting with how the tech firms have exploited the lack of regulatory framework,”she said.
In the tech field, Clarke hopes to create more equity in AI spaces and has pushed to combat misinformation with legislation, such as the DEEPFAKES Accountability Act, to stop the spread of malicious deepfakes; and the REAL Political Ads Act, which increases transparency about political AI-generated advertisements.
Even with everything that’s happening at the federal level, Clarke said she was excited to continue her storied career in Congress. “It was wonderful to have so many members of the community come to validate and uplift my re-election. It was heartwarming. I’m in Washington most of the time, battling it out,” Clarke said about the launch. “To know that it reverberates with my constituency is a point of pride for me. I felt gratitude to the people. [They] have not overlooked or undervalued the work that I do.”
The New York State primary election takes place June 23, and early voting is from June 13 to June 21.