NYC Primary Election 2020: Clarke Fights Challengers

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK — Brooklyn Democrats in a week will cast their ballots in a spate of local, state and federal primary races — including the 9th Congressional District, where U.S. Rep. Yvette Clarke is defending her seat against challengers Adem Bunkeddeko, Chaim Deutsch, Lutchi Gayot and Isiah James.

Clarke has been in Congress since 2006 and highlights legislation, such as the Affordable Care Act, that passed during that time.

The 9th Congressional District includes Crown Heights, Flatbush, Midwood, Park Slope, Prospect Heights, Prospect Lefferts Gardens, Sheepshead Bay and more.

The primary election, slated for June 23, is open to registered Democratic voters. All New York voters may request a mail-in ballot due to the coronavirus pandemic. Ballots must be postmarked by the date of the election for the vote to get counted.

For those who want to head to the polls, click here to find your poll site. Early voting is available from June 13 to June 21.

Patch reached out to all candidates in the primary election to create these profiles. Responses have been lightly edited for clarity.

Age as of Election Day (Nov. 3)

55

NYC neighborhood of residence

Brooklyn

Position Sought

U.S. Congress

Party Affiliation

Democrat

Family

Former City Council Member Dr. Una Clarke, my mother

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

My mother, Dr. Una Clarke, preceded me in City Council where she fought for the interests of the marginalized in her community.

Education

Oberlin College and Medgar Evers College

Occupation

U.S. Congresswoman, first elected in 2006

Previous or Current Elected or Appointed Office

I currently represent New York's 9th Congressional District. I previously served on the New York City Council, representing the 40th District.

Campaign website

voteyvette.com

Why are you seeking elective office?

I am running for reelection because I believe my mission to implement my constituents’ agenda has not been completed. While we have made significant progress during my tenure in office with notable achievements such as the ACA, the First Step Act, the For the People Act, and any number of progressive initiatives of the most recent Congress, much work still remains to be done. I will not feel like I have accomplished my goals here until we can provide affordable housing solutions to every American, make healthcare guaranteed as all human rights should be, create a pathway to citizenship for undocmented Americans who have no other country to call home, and we begin to make the hard decisions necessary to stem the tide of climate change.

The single most pressing issue facing our nation/state/community is _______, and this is what I intend to do about it.

As the flames continue to engulf our nation, we have been given another reminder that racism remains one of our original sins and the continued entrenchment of systemic racism will preclude any progress towards the progressive future we dream of. Every part of the legal and social fabric of our nation has been intimately impacted by the effects of systemic racism, from the Electoral College ingraining white supremacy in our election of the President to our comparatively anemic labor protections and social safety-net. Not only will we find ourselves unable to root out these pernicious frameworks without sweeping political support, but we will not even be able to have a conversation until we can agree on the facts of our history. Many still continue to cling to the devilish comfort provided by adopting the Lost Cause vision of American history that postulates our nation solved its racial issues during the Civil War. If we cannot get on the same page about what we are fighting over, we will only work to further calcify dangerous understandings of the American Experiment and our shared history.

To begin the process of healing and peeling back the layers of our history of state sponsored or tacitly condoned discrimination, I have focused on addressing inequities in the housing market. Earlier this year, I introduced a resolution delineating the history and impact of state-sponsored redlining. By connecting these government actions with the wealth gap and a host of socioeconomic inequities will provide the impetus for more sweeping policies that will help level the playing field in the housing market and finally allow Black Americans to substantively build wealth.

What are the critical differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

While most of my primary opponents espouse progressive ideals and want to build towards a more progressive future, they have failed to show how they would do so. Though my opponents have attempted to associate themselves with prominent progressives throughout the country, such as my colleagues and friends Reps Ocasio-Cortez and Pressley, they have failed to truly replicate their model. Throughout this campaign, they have criticized me for a failure to act while simultaneously failing to show what they would do differently. Attempts to draw substantive legislative contrasts between our visions for the future have largely fallen flat most notably because they suggest policies I already publicly support. For example, one of my opponents effectively claimed that I have abdicated my responsibilities to the district by not joining critical initiatives to stem the tide of climate change. However, the example of model legislation to both address our dilapidated public housing stock and our carbon footprint, the Green New Deal for Public Housing from Rep. Ocasio-Cortez, is one that I have supported for months.

Put plainly, they have failed to sketch out their own visions for a progressive future. Rather than adding issues to the conversation and bringing new ideas to the table, they have looked to the work of others as they have overlooked my own. Climate change again provides a perfect case study of this dynamic. Rather than simply joining the efforts of others, I looked for ways to leverage my position as VC on the Energy and Commerce Committee to begin to build out the infrastructural resources necessary to transition to a renewable economy. If we want to get gas guzzling cars off the road, we first need to build the infrastructure that allows for electric vehicles in cities without leaving low-income or marginalized communities out of the equation. I tackle this problem head on in my bill HR 5751 - Electric Vehicles for Underserved Communities Act of 2020, which would help make the infrastructure necessary to support a green future in cities possible. While most of the people in this race have made clear they support moving towards a progressive future, not everyone has similarly worked to sketch out all of the missing contours of that future.

If you are a challenger, in what way has the current board or officeholder failed the community (or district or constituency)

Describe the other issues that define your campaign platform

From the beginning, my campaign has been focused on the fundamental pocketbook issues that have make navigating life difficult for many Americans. As the fastest growing expense for many in my district as well as the toll that gentrification has taken on displaced communities, housing and finding ways to move the nation to understanding housing as a right will always remain a priority of mine. Similarly, with medical debt one of the leading causes of bankruptcy thus ravaging families and limiting access to necessary care, I will continue to fight for a Medicare for All-type system that leaves no one uninsured. My district also has one of the largest foreign-born and immigrant populations in the country. Making sure that we put in the work necessary to develop a more welcoming, humane and hospitable immigration system that provides citizenship and legal status for all those that have made this country their own represents a prerequisite if we want to continue to claim our legacy as a nation of immigrants. Lastly, but certainly not least important, none of this will matter if we do not initiate the mass mobilization necessary to avoid the worst impacts of climate change. Failing to do so will quite possibly lead to the permanent end to live as we know it giving way to a lifestyle defined by constant adaptation and struggle.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

Beyond the legislative achievements noted above, I would draw their attention to my legislative record of leveraging institutional power and filling the gaps in the progressive conversation. A perfect example of both dynamics would be my bill H.R. 4737: Department of Homeland Security Climate Change Research Act. This bill would require DHS to evaluate existing research regarding how we could mitigate the impacts of climate change and conduct additional original research to fill any gaps in the preexisting available information. Not only does this show my ability to add to existing progressive battles, but it also shows my ability to get things done as one of the bills that passed the House this Congress.

Additionally, during my tenure in office I have also made a point to push on issues that have all too often gone ignored by the general public. As many New Yorkers know and far too many of my constituents have experienced first hand, Average Median Income (AMI) has been used as a cudgel to expedite gentrification throughout Brooklyn and beyond. For decades no one has substantially addressed the underlying issues inherent to AMI or the maps that put wealthy suburbs like Westchester and Rockland counties in the same income bucket as Brooklyn. To remove those suburbs and to reform the AMI system, I introduced HR 4984 now known at the HOME Act to take direct aim at those that seek to use AMI to cause displacement and gentrification in the pursuit of profits. Moreover, this bill allocates $75 billion to spur the wave of construction necessary to provide affordable housing solutions for all Amerians.

As the only Black woman in the NY congressional delegation, I have also taken it upon myself to explicitly advocate for the interests of Black women across the country as the Co-Chair of the Black Women and Girls Caucus. Despite the fact that we disproportionately make up the frontline workers that have kept us safe throughout the coronavirus crisis, black women perpetually lack the respect they deserve from the medical community leading to higher rates of misdiagnosis. missed ailments, and a systemic lack of investment on issues targeting us. To address this issue, I filled a gap in the legislative conversation by introducing HR 6383 - The Uterine Fibroid Research and Education Act of 2020 which allocates $150 million towards research on this condition that impacts upwards of 80% of black women.

The best advice ever shared with me was:

As 45 has made painfully clear every day of his administration, I am reminded of a saying that my mother shared with me from Maya Angelou: “when someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” This sentiment could have spared us all of much unnecessary strife and upheaval.

What else would you like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

While I have been in Congress for over a decade now, most of my tenure has been spent under Republican leadership. In a majoritarian body like the House of Representatives coupled with the ardent opposition of the Tea Party, this made it next to impossible to implement a progressive agenda for the nation. Under the leadership of Speaker Pelosi and in conjunction with this new generation of leaders that have ignited the fires that burn in progressives hearts across the country, I have made considerable strides towards making my legislative dreams a reality that will benefit Brooklyn. If given the opportunity to continue in this role, I pledge to continue fighting until we all equitably enjoy the fruits of this great nation.