Clarke Wins Major Owens' Seat in Tight Brooklyn Race

New York, NY —

Unlike the Democratic primary for Attorney General, the race to succeed Brooklyn Congressman Major Owens was a true contest. The winner was City Councilwoman Yvette Clarke. WNYC's Beth Fertig has more.

REPORTER: With four serious candidates, primary night in the 11th Congressional District was expected to be a nail-biter. Just before eleven-thirty p.m., City Councilwoman Yvette Clarke received a thunderous applause at her campaign party in Flatbush.

CLARKE: We did it everyone! (cheers)

REPORTER: Clarke vowed to fight for her constituents just like her predecessor in the district, Shirley Chisholm - who was the first black woman elected to Congress back in the 1960s.

CLARKE: She once said, and I quote, you don't make progress by standing on sidelines whimpering and complaining you make progress by implementing ideas, end quote.

REPORTER: Clarke said SHE would fight for healthcare, education, and immigrant rights while speaking out against the war in Iraq. Her campaign credited these broad themes and the support of labor unions. The daughter of Jamaican immigrants was also propelled by the support of Caribbean Americans. Clarke won the night with over 30 percent of the vote, even though City Councilman David Yassky held an early lead. At a restaurant in Park Slope, Yassky initially stopped short of a concession speech.

YASSKY: We took our campaign to every single voter in every part, every corner of this district and we got the message to them and that was the job that you all did and we're going to make sure that every vote is counted.

REPORTER: But later he issued a statement congratulating Clarke. Her other rivals, State Assemblyman Carl Andrews and the congressman's son, Chris Owens, both got less than a quarter of the vote.

As the only white candidate in a four-way race, Yassky was accused by his competitors of trying to split the black vote in a predominantly black district. He also had a massive fundraising advantage. But even though a few of his supporters grumbled that his skin color may have hurt him, ultimately Clarke may have won with a good old fashioned get out the vote drive. For WNYC I'm Beth Fertig.