Adem T. Bunkeddeko

Adem T. Bunkeddeko is a Brooklyn Democrat, former nonprofit executive, and two-time congressional candidate who ran for New York State Comptroller in 2026, challenging incumbent Thomas DiNapoli in the Democratic primary before being removed from the ballot by the state Board of Elections on April 28, 2026 after a petition-signature review left him short of the 15,000 valid signatures required. Born at Elmhurst Hospital in Queens to Ugandan refugees who fled the country's civil war, he was raised with his siblings in a rent-stabilized one-bedroom apartment, attended New York City public schools, and earned scholarships to prep school and college, becoming one of the first in his family to earn a college degree. He holds a B.A. in political science and philosophy from Haverford College and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. He began his career as a grassroots organizer in Brooklyn, held roles at the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation and Brooklyn Community Services building programs connecting residents to education and job training, served in leadership positions at the Empire State Development Corporation and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) advancing affordable housing and economic mobility, and later joined Coro New York as Executive Director, leading the organization through the COVID-19 pandemic. He has also worked in finance managing and evaluating investments, serves on the board of House of SpeakEasy, and previously served on Brooklyn Community Board 8 and the board of the Center for Justice Innovation. He ran for Congress twice in central Brooklyn's 9th District against Rep. Yvette Clarke — narrowly losing in 2018 (~47%) and finishing second in a five-way primary in 2020.