Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
When You Forget to Graduate While Running for Office
By
Jen Chung
Published Aug 25, 2006
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Jen Chung
Published Aug 25, 2006
Modified Mar 7, 2008
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Oh, City Councilwoman Yvette Clarke. You get a big dose of attention from the NY Times on Wednesday about your run for Major Owen's Congressional Seat, but then it turns out you never graduated from Oberlin, the way your campaign literature in 2004 and 2005 claimed you did. Clarke was a few credits short of a degree, and her aides said that she had finished them up at Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn. The problem? Oberlin never got those transcripts. Oops! Yesterday, the Daily News had a statement from Clarke about the incident, where she claimed she thought she had "fulfilled the requirements for a bachelor's degree," but then "discovered" that she never actually finished those classes. What? Clarke is 41 - that's not old and no reason to forget taking a class that would give you a college degree.
And the Daily News' Daily Politics blog reveals that Clarke did enroll at Medgar Evers not once but twice!
Clarke's transcript, according to this source, shows that she took three public administration classes in 1986. That would have been enough to finish her Oberlin degree. But while she got As in two classes, she failed a third.
Clarke was clearly aware that she hadn't finished her degree: In 1991, she re-enrolled at Medgar Evers, this time in a management class. According to the transcript, however, she withdrew from the class.
Just one class short! Chris Owens, son of Major and one of Clarke's Democratic rivals for the 11th District Democratic rave, said in a debate last night, "I think there's a pattern that just is troubling, and I'm not going to say it points to character - I think maybe it points to messiness and incompetence."
And other highlights from the debate:
- It's felt that David Yassky, the only white candidate in the four-way race, decided to run because the other three black candidates would split the vote (naturally, Yassky denied it)
- Owens denied being behind posters that compared Yassky to rats or roaches
- State Senator Carl Andrews "deflected" questions about his close relationship with disgraced Brooklyn Democratic leader Clarence Norman, who had to step down after being convicted of corruption
The four told the Daily News editorial board the US "should pull out of Iraq," Wal-Mart's corporate citizenship was problematic and that they "opposed a guest-worker program for undocumented immigrants." And don't know if you're in the 11th District? Take a look at this map from GovTrack.
Tagged
As
blogs
brooklyn
Brooklyn Democratic
city
City Councilwoman
clarence norman
college
corruption
daily news
david
david yassky
District
immigrants
iraq
medgar evers college
news
News: NYC
ny times
Politics
race
rats
State Senator
us
Wednesday
yvette clarke
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
DSA to Mamdani: Fire NYPD commissioner if ICE doesn't leave NYC
The DSA's NYC chapter accused the NYPD of collaborating with ICE and demanded Mayor Mamdani hold Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch responsible.
By
Elizabeth Kim
,
Brigid Bergin
and
Ben Feuerherd
Published Oct 9, 2026 at 6:31 p.m. ET
Two people killed in Bronx vehicle crash
When officers arrived on the scene in Allerton Friday afternoon, they found three pedestrians who were unconscious with trauma to the head and body, according to the NYPD. Two individuals later died.
By
Kaya Laterman
News
Two people killed in Bronx vehicle crash
When officers arrived on the scene in Allerton Friday afternoon, they found three pedestrians who were unconscious with trauma to the head and body, according to the NYPD. Two individuals later died.
By
Kaya Laterman
NY will opt in Trump’s school choice program, Hochul says
By
Jon Campbell
Residents, lawmakers warned for months of potential for deadly ICE activity in Marble Hill
By
David Brand
Manhattan DA argues judge shouldn't dismiss state charges against Luigi Mangione
By
Samantha Max
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .