Yvette D. Clarke
DemocratU.S. Representative, NY-9| Age | 61 (b. 1964-11-21) |
| Gender | Female |
| In office since | 2007-01-04 (~19 yrs) |
| Race / ethnicity | Black/African American |
| Education | Attended Oberlin College (1982–1986, did not complete degree there); completed degree at Medgar Evers College (CUNY), Brooklyn |
| Prior occupation | Childcare specialist; community training coordinator; assistant to State Senator Velmanette Montgomery; assistant to Assemblywoman Barbara Clark; Director of Business Development, Bronx Overall Economic Development Corporation (BOEDC) |
| Military service | No |
| Birthplace | Brooklyn (Flatbush), New York |
| Marital status | unmarried (life partner deceased) |
| Children | 0 |
| Residence | Flatbush, Brooklyn, New York |
| Notable relatives | Mother: Una S. T. Clarke, former New York City Council member (1992–2001); Yvette succeeded her mother's council seat in 2002, forming the first mother-daughter succession in NYC Council history |
Pending research: religion · languages · openly lgbtq.
Career & politics
| First elected | 2006 |
| Previous offices | New York City Council, 40th District (Brooklyn), 2002–2007 |
| Committees | House Committee on Energy and Commerce · Subcommittee on Communications and Technology (Energy and Commerce) · Subcommittee on Commerce, Manufacturing, and Trade (Energy and Commerce) · Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations – Ranking Member (Energy and Commerce) |
| Caucuses | Congressional Black Caucus (Chair, 119th Congress) · Congressional Caribbean Caucus (Co-Chair) · Congressional Progressive Caucus · Medicare for All Caucus (Co-Chair) · Congressional Caucus on Black Women and Girls (Co-Chair) · Congressional Caucus on Multicultural Media (Chair) · Smart Cities Caucus (Co-Chair) · Congressional Creators Caucus (Co-Chair) |
| Leadership | Chair, Congressional Black Caucus (119th Congress, beginning January 2025) |
| Ideology | Progressive Democrat; one of the most left-leaning members of the New York delegation; original co-sponsor of Green New Deal and Medicare for All Act; member of Congressional Progressive Caucus |
| Signature legislation | DEEPFAKES Accountability Act (introduced 2019, reintroduced 2023) – requires watermarking of AI-generated deepfake content · State and Local Cybersecurity Improvement Act (H.R.3138) – enacted as part of Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (2021); established $1 billion DHS grant program for state/local cybersecurity · Algorithmic Accountability Act (2019, 2022) – would require automated decision-system impact assessments · International Cybercrime Reporting and Cooperation Act – bipartisan cybercrime cooperation legislation |
Financial
Net worth: disclosed $8,000+ (2009) · estimate
No holdings recorded yet (from official Financial Disclosure filings).
Top donors: Service Employees International Union (SEIU) ($18,000 (2023-2024 cycle)) · Communications Workers of America ($5,000 (2023-2024 cycle))
Top industries: Health Professionals · Labor/Unions · Telecom/Communications · Real Estate · Lawyers & Lobbyists
Scandals & crimes ledger
No recorded incidents. Under the adjudicated-only methodology, an entry appears only when a court or official body has formally acted and the record is cited.