By Nelson A. King
NEW YORK, Nov 4, CMC – Candidates with a Caribbean background easily won re-election in the midterm general elections in the United States in which voters overwhelmingly rejected President Donald Trump’s policies by giving Democrats control of both Houses of Congress.
In what has been described as a stunning tsunami, Democrats flipped even ruby-red Republican States for victory in the House of Representatives and the Senate.
According to the preliminary election results, Caribbean-American Democratic Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke, the daughter of Jamaican immigrants, who represents the predominantly Caribbean 9th Congressional District in Brooklyn, New York, won re-election hands-down.
Clarke, who is also chair of the Congressional Black Caucus, trounced her Republican challenger, Joel Azumah, securing 146,503 votes, or 82.09 per cent, to Azumah’s 30,378 votes, or 17.02 per cent.
In the 19th New York State Senate District and 59th Assembly District – both in Brooklyn – there were no challengers to Caribbean Democratic incumbents State Senator Roxanne Persaud and Assembly Member Monique Chandler-Waterman, respectively.
Guyanese-born Persaud, who represents the 19th State Senate District, was re-elected with 55,828 votes, while Chandler-Waterman, the daughter of Jamaican and Barbadian immigrants, won by receiving 27,575 votes.
In the 42nd State Assembly District in Brooklyn, incumbent Democratic Assembly Member Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, the daughter of Haitian immigrants, won by a landslide.
Bichotte Hermelyn, the former chair of the Brooklyn Democratic Party, receied 28,339 votes, or 90 per cent to her Republican challenger Herman Hall, the Grenadian-born publisher of the Brooklyn-based Everybody’s Caribbean Magazine. Hall received 3,154 votes, or 10 percent of the votes cast.
In the 433rd Assembly District in Brooklyn, New York State Democratic Assembly Member Brian Cunningham, the son of Jamaican immigrants, also won re-election by a landslide.
Cunningham captured 35,501 votes, or 91.2 per cent, to his Republican challenger, Anna Shpilkovskaya’s 3,447 votes, or 8.8 per cent.
In New York State Assembly District 59 in Brooklyn, Trinidadian Democratic incumbent Jaime Williams crushed her Working Families Party’s challenger, Jibreel Jalloh, polling 25,402 votes, or 90 per cent as against 2,818 votes, or 10 per cent for Jalloh.
“Thank you to the great people of New York’s 9th Congressional District for entrusting me with an 11th term as our community’s federal representative in Washington, D.C.,” said Clarke in her victory speech Tuesday night. “Brooklyn has always been, and will always be, my home.
“To serve the many decent, diverse, and spirited peoples of our borough, whom I am privileged to call my neighbors, is both a blessing and the honor of my life. When I return to the upcoming Congress, I pledge to continue the work of advancing our progressive agenda, standing firm against oppressive actions and regressive ideologies, and upholding the highest ideals of those who helped build Brooklyn into the beautiful, vibrant community we are proud to call home.”
Clarke had earlier told the Caribbean Media Corporation (CMC) that “as the only Black woman representing New York in Congress, I know that my seat at the table is an invaluable one.
“And I carry with me the legacy of my mother, Dr. Una Clarke, who immigrated to the United States from Jamaica in 1958 in search of a better life,” added the congresswoman, whose mother was the first Caribbean-born woman to be elected to New York City Council.
Clarke’s New York Congressional colleague, Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries – whose 8th Congressional District in Brooklyn and Queens comprises a significant number of Caribbean nationals – easily won re-election.
Jeffries has so far secured 128,197 votes, or 78.94 percent of the votes count to Republican Lewis Mizrahi’s 31,969 votes, or 19.68 per cent.
“We’re going to fight to make sure that we make this country affordable for every single American,” Jeffries told jubilant supporters, adding “this is a change election”.
Jeffries is poised to become the first Black Speaker, in American history, of the US House of Representatives.
“Things are broken. We need a Congress that puts the American people first,” he said.
New York Democratic Governor Kathy C. Hochul won easily won re-election defeating the Republican Bruce A. Blakeman.
New York Democratic Attorney General, Letitia James, considered “a friend of the Caribbean”, also won re-election handsomely.
James, who had challenged several of Trump’s policies in court, including immigration and Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitian, secured 3,463,959, or 60.3 per cent to the Republican Saritha Komatireddy’s 2,282,393 votes, or 39.7 per cent.
“I have spent my career fighting for everyday New Yorkers — taking on powerful corporations, corrupt landlords and a federal government that puts politics ahead of people,” James said. “As your Attorney General, I will continue to make New York more affordable, safer and fairer for every working family in every community across New York State.”
CMC/nk/ir/2026