News & Politics
Clarke challenger raises over $100,000 in first 48 hours
Michael Goldfarb raised almost as much money in two days as Rep. Yvette Clarke had in her campaign account in June.
Rep. Yvette Clarke, chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, faces a longshot primary challenge from Michael Goldfarb. Leigh Vogel/Getty Images for Congressional Black Caucus Foundation
First-time candidate Michael Goldfarb is boasting an impressive two-day fundraising haul in his bid to unseat Rep. Yvette Clarke in a Democratic primary.
After announcing his candidacy for the 9th Congressional District in Brooklyn on Monday, Goldfarb said that he has already raised over $100,000. “I'm proud of the investment we have attracted in the first 48 hours of our campaign,” Goldfarb said in a statement. “The money we have brought in is a testament to the fact that people want change.” His background in private equity and fintech, as well as connections at his alma mater Harvard, have provided Goldfarb a rich pool of early donors to draw from.
The haul is already comparable to Clarke’s own meager campaign war chest. As of the most recent filing in June, she had just about $135,000 in the bank. But that could change when new campaign filings come out later this month.
Despite a strong start, Goldfarb faces an uphill battle in taking on Clarke, who has held a version of her seat for almost two decades. She enjoys strong institutional support from Democrats including longtime ally and fellow Central Brooklynite Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, the House Democratic leader. Clarke has also bested primary challengers in the past, though she has largely avoided reelection fights.
Clarke’s closest contest came in 2018, a banner year for insurgents challenges to longtime Democratic office-holders in New York. First-time candidate Adem Bunkeddeko came within single digits of beating Clarke in a highly competitive primary. But unlike her former colleague Joe Crowley, Clarke managed to hold onto her seat that year and beat Bunkeddeko again handily in a more crowded primary two years later as well.
Goldfarb, who is white, may also face demographic hurdles in the plurality-Black district. Black politicians have represented versions of the district for decades, and Clarke herself leads the influential Congressional Black Caucus. But the district also has a sizable Jewish population, which has proven to be a powerful voting bloc that Goldfarb, who is also Jewish, could tap into. With concerns about antisemitism on the rise and the mayoral candidacy of Zohran Mamdani polarizing opinions among Jewish New Yorkers, Goldfarb may be able to mobilize the community to come out and support him.