Rep. Yvette Clarke, a Brooklyn Democrat who is facing a primary challenge from Sylvia Kinard, ex-wife of former NYC Comptroller/2013 mayoral hopeful Bill Thompson, has picked up the endorsement (via press release) of Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand.

“Yvette Clarke is a strong leader and a vital voice for all New Yorkers,” Gillibrand said in a statement released by the congresswoman’s campaign. “From her time on the City Council to her current tenure in the U.S. House of Representatives, Yvette has been a fighter to improve the lives of her constituents.”

“For the last six years, Yvette has been a tireless advocate for the middle class throughout the New York City area. I have great confidence that Congresswoman Clarke will continue to serve the best interests of New Yorkers and I am proud to strongly support her campaign for re-election to the U.S. Congress.”

Clarke said she is “honored to receive the endorsement and kind words” of Gillibrand, whom she called a “tireless advocate for all New Yorkers.”

Clarke and Gillibrand were elected to Congress in the same year – 2006.

Clarke won a hotly contested four-way Democratic primary for retiring Rep. Major Owens’ seat that year, squeezing out a victory with just with just over 31 percent of the vote. (Also in the running were former NYC Councilman/current Taxi and Limousine Commissioner David Yassky, who was the only white candidate in the race and drew fire by moving into the district to take advantage of the split black vote; former Sen. Carl Andrews, and Owens’ son, Chris).

Gillibrand also won a tough race, surprising political observers by ousting scandal-scarred Republican Rep. John Sweeney in what was then the GOP-dominated 20th Congressional District.

The former upstate congresswoman was subsequently tapped by former Gov. David Paterson to serve out the remainder of Hillary Clinton’s US Senate term after she became President Obama’s secretarty of state.

Interesting point of history: Clarke refused to endorse Clinton’s 2008 presidential run for months because Clinton’s then-top spokesman, Howard Wolfson, had advised Yassky during the 2006 primary. Clarke eventually relented and joined the majority of her fellow Democratic elected officials, backing Clinton against Obama in the presidential primary.

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