With a big lead over a large group of opponents, it appears U.S. Rep. Yvette Clarke will win Democratic primary in the 9th Congressional District.
“While there are still more votes to be counted, I want to thank my neighbors, friends, family and constituents for the overwhelming support they showed at the polls,” Clarke said on Wednesday. “I am still taking it all in and your trust is motivation enough to continue the work we started. I look forward to being a strong, vocal and active advocate on your behalf in Washington. Brooklyn, we go hard.”
According to the Board of Elections in the City of New York, as of 6:14 a.m. and with 96.91 percent of scanners reported, Clarke had 62.20 percent of the vote (37,106 votes). The closest opponent is Adem Bunkeddeko, who was at 17.85 percent (10,647). Chaim Deutsch had 9.42 percent (5,622), followed by Isiah James with 9.32 percent (5,576) and Lutchi Gayot with 1.01 percent (605).
The Congressional Black Caucus PAC’s Twitter account declared Clarke the winner.
“Congratulations to our endorsed candidates, democratic nominees,” the account tweeted, citing Clarke as one of the winners.
Bunkeddeko said that his campaign will wait on absentee ballots.
“I am proud of this campaign and the work we were able to accomplish during this unprecedented election season,” he said. “Thank you to every single one of our supporters and volunteers. I am excited by the enthusiasm to participate in our democratic process and look forward to counting all of the votes.
“We knew going into yesterday that this would be a drawn-out results process, and with over 70,000 absentee ballot requests in this district, it’s important that every vote is counted and every voice is heard. This will take time so we must be patient. Last night was just the beginning of the process, and we have a long road before the results are finalized. I have faith in our vision for change, and I am excited for the remainder of the votes to be counted.”
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