As New York State Comptroller, I have built a record of independence, accountability, and results. I have used the State Comptroller’s Office to make government work better and deliver more for the people it serves. I grew the state pension fund to nearly $300 billion and one of the best-funded in the nation, protecting the retirement security of more than 1.2 million public workers, retirees and their beneficiaries. I restored public trust in an office that was mired in scandal, and my public corruption initiative has led to more than 380 arrests and the recovery of more than $105 million. 

My hundreds of audits and reports have identified billions of dollars in savings and driven real improvements in how government delivers critical services from school mental health and special education to supportive housing and assistance programs for our most vulnerable. I launched Open Book New York to make government spending transparent and accessible, returned record amounts of unclaimed funds to their rightful owners, and used the pension fund's shareholder power to advance corporate accountability. And I have been sounding the alarm about how the Trump Administration's cuts threaten everything from critical infrastructure projects to progress on renewable energy development, and the programs working families depend on to make ends meet.

Before becoming Comptroller, I served in the New York State Assembly where I chaired the Environmental Conservation, Local Governments, and Governmental Operations committees, and served on the Ways and Means Committee, and before that as a trustee on the Mineola Board of Education.

I am proud of this work, but there is much more to be done. I'm running to keep fighting, to protect the pension fund, hold government accountable, and ensure New York has the fiscal foundation to build the future our residents deserve.

I am the best candidate for Comptroller because no one else in this race has the experience, the record, or the proven independence to do this job at the level New Yorkers deserve. 

I have built the Comptroller's office into one of the most effective and trusted institutions in state government. I took over an office in crisis and restored its integrity. I grew the pension fund to nearly $300 billion, one of the best-funded and best-managed public pension systems in the country, protecting the retirement security of 1.2 million public workers, retirees and their beneficiaries. I have held government accountable through hundreds of audits that have identified where and how programs and services could be provided more efficiently and effectively, fought public corruption and identified billions of dollars in cost savings and waste, and used the power of the pension fund to push corporations to address environmental, social and governance risks. We have been recognized as leaders in the fight against climate change and investing in climate solutions, committing more than $28 billion to sustainable investments and targeting divestment for the riskiest fossil fuel investments.

But experience alone isn't enough. What sets me apart is that I have consistently used this office to fight to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of state and local governments, and to fight for the people who need government to work, including people struggling with rising costs, children and families facing poverty, food insecurity, and homelessness, immigrants under attack from Washington, older adults and people with disabilities who depend on programs that are now being gutted at the federal level. I don't just manage the numbers. I follow them to the people they affect, and I fight for those people. 

My opponents have made sweeping promises about things the Comptroller simply cannot do. That's not leadership, it's performative politics. I have used the actual powers of this office to deliver real results, and that's the difference voters will see.

With Washington threatening funding for everything from safety net programs to renewable energy development to major infrastructure projects, New York's fiscal future is uncertain. This is not the time to hand this office to someone who is still learning the job. I have been standing up to those forces, and I have no intention of stopping. My path to victory is built on that record, a statewide campaign grounded in trust, results, and the relationships I've built with communities across New York over my entire time in public service.

New York needs to build more housing, expand transit, and accelerate renewable energy development. I support efforts to establish faster timelines and deadlines for review of certain projects. However, SEQRA has long served an important function protecting New York's environment and public health, and it’s essential that any reforms that are enacted preserve environmental protections.    If these reforms are enacted, I will use the power of the Comptroller’s Office to ensure they are being effectively implemented so they deliver the results New Yorkers need. My work reinforces why this matters. For example, my audit of the Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES), which was created to speed up the siting of large renewable energy projects to help achieve the goals of the Climate Act, found that permitting was taking far longer than intended, and that the agency needed to make significant improvements. My report on Renewable Electricity found that the state was behind in its progress towards meeting its renewable energy goals, and set forth several recommendations to accelerate progress.

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New York's capital projects consistently cost too much, take too long, and lack transparency. I support reforms that give agencies the tools and flexibility they need to deliver projects faster and more cost-effectively, but still have strong accountability and taxpayer protections the Comptroller’s Office provides. As Comptroller, I have regularly identified in audits and reports where the state and New York City could be more effective and efficient in its capital project procurement and management.   For example, as the state was beginning to contemplate design-build authorizations, a report series I released framed out options for public private partnerships, identifying how this approach could improve efficiency of project delivery, but also came with risks, and called for adequate taxpayer protections to avoid problems seen in other states. My recent report on New York City capital project performance found significant delays, major cost overruns, and a lack of transparency, pointing to a need for significant improvements. And a recent audit examined whether the MTA’s reorganized Construction & Development unit was fulfilling its mission to execute its capital program “better, faster, and cheaper” from project conception to award through construction and handover to its operating agency partners. This audit found that much more progress was needed. I also advanced capital planning and debt reforms to improve how the state manages and prioritizes its capital planning and investments. These are examples of the work I’ve done to show where improvements are needed to facilitate more efficient and effective capital project delivery outcomes in the state and the City.  New York needs to build more, build faster, and build smarter. I will continue using the power of the State Comptroller’s Office to identify where the process is broken and push for the reforms and improvements needed to deliver results.

I support reforms that make procurement faster, more flexible, and more result focused, with appropriate safeguards to protect taxpayers and ensure a fair process. During my tenure, we have implemented significant process improvements, including moving entirely to electronic invoicing and implementing better payment procedures. I believe effective procurement reform must include safeguards to ensure a fair process, reasonable costs, and results that are in the best interest of our residents. I report annually on state agency compliance with prompt contracting and prompt payment laws, which consistently show that there are serious delays in executing contracts with the state's not-for-profit partners and ensuring timely payments for their services. That's unacceptable because community-based organizations are delivering essential services, and deserve to be paid on time. My audits have identified inefficiencies in agency procurement processes, for example, showing how the MTA was still following old procurement processes and needed to do more to improve efficiencies, consolidate procurements and effectively achieve the goals of its transformation plan. Government needs to be a reliable partner for the organizations and businesses helping deliver services to New Yorkers. I will continue holding agencies accountable for modernizing how they do business so that public dollars reach communities faster and more effectively.

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Civil Service Reform: Government can't deliver for New Yorkers if it can't hire the people it needs. Outdated civil service processes have created real barriers to building a strong, diverse, and qualified state workforce, and reforms that make hiring faster and more job-relevant are long overdue.

The New York Hiring for Emergency Limited Placement Statewide (NY HELPS) Program, which was created to address staff shortages and hiring delays across the state workforce by waiving exams for certain positions and allowing hiring based on education and experience, made a significant difference at the State Comptroller’s Office. We made more than 800 appointments under the program since it was launched in 2023. This demonstrates that, working with our partners in labor, we can modernize hiring while preserving fairness, merit-based protection, and a diverse workforce. I strongly support building on that success to ensure state and local governments can recruit and retain the talent they need to serve the public effectively.

Public Services: Programs that are too difficult to access don't serve the people who need them. I support overhauling application and reapplication processes to reduce barriers and get help to New Yorkers faster. My work shows this can be done without increasing the risk of people taking advantage of the system. The bigger problem is the opposite, because too many eligible New Yorkers are being shut out of programs and assistance they are eligible for by bureaucratic hurdles. 

I support increasing enrollment, reducing administrative barriers, improving outreach, and strengthening program delivery. I have called for expanded and improved access to programs that address food insecurity, housing affordability, child poverty, homelessness, and the help for seniors and young New Yorkers. I have also reported on how the cuts coming from Washington will harm everyday New Yorkers, and how essential these programs are to helping New York’s working families make ends meet, through assistance for housing, health care, child care, food, home heating, and more, making efforts to ensure access to assistance programs more critical than ever.

I am committed to continuing to use the power of the Comptroller’s Office to examine participation rates across key programs and identify where eligible New Yorkers are falling through the cracks and where burdensome application and reapplication processes are keeping help from reaching the people who need it most. Barriers to access is still unacceptably pervasive, as my work has consistently shown. Recent examples include early intervention programs for children with disabilities, Medicaid and managed long term care, supportive housing programs, Nourish New York and SNAP food assistance programs, human trafficking survivor assistance, and much more.

At a time when so many individuals and families are struggling, we cannot afford a system that makes it harder to get help than it should be. I will keep fighting to break down those barriers.

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Expanding Housing: New York's housing affordability crisis is fundamentally a supply problem, and solving it requires building more housing of all types, including market-rate units. My reports have documented this clearly: my report on the housing affordability crisis found New York State ranked 32nd in the nation in housing production from 2012 to 2022, and my report on Housing Production in NYC showed that even though the City added housing at a faster pace in recent years, it is still not enough to meet demand. The two key drivers of the housing cost burden are housing costs and income, and increasing supply is essential to addressing this affordability crisis.

As Trustee of the state pension fund, our investments span preservation, rehabilitation, public-private partnerships, and emerging manager strategies to boost affordable and workforce housing. The New York State pension fund is a leading institutional investor in such housing in New York State and nationally. We have invested billions of dollars in these housing units in New York through partnership with the Community Preservation Corporation, and other investments in support of affordable and workforce housing in New York State and beyond. The fund will continue to pursue the best opportunities to support affordable and workforce housing while meeting its fiduciary obligations.  

I also believe more effective preservation and improvements to existing housing stock must be part of the solution. My recent report, Audit Findings: Improvements Needed to Mitchell Lama Program showed how systemic oversight weaknesses put thousands of Mitchell Lama affordable housing units at risk, and recommended several concrete actions that must be taken to improve building conditions, protect tenant health and safety, and address deficient management practices. 

New York cannot build its way out of this crisis with affordable units alone and we need more housing at every level. I will continue using the power of the State Comptroller’s Office to identify barriers to production and push for the changes needed to get it done.

Homelessness/Expedited permanent supportive housing: Shelters are not a permanent solution, and New York needs to move people into permanent supportive housing faster. A housing-first approach is the most effective path, but it only works if the systems behind it are actually delivering in an efficient and cost-effective way.

My audits have consistently found that the programs meant to move people from shelters to permanent housing are falling short. I have reported on the homeless crisis in the State and in New York City, and my audits of the CityFHEPS program, as well as audits of the State’s and the City’s handling of housing discrimination complaints, help lessen barriers to affordable housing by providing recommendations to reduce housing discrimination, shorten placement delays for those who are attempting to move from shelters to permanent housing, and improve the effective and efficient use of scarce subsidized units and funds. My audits have shown better oversight and performance was needed for supportive housing providers and shelters to ensure the health and safety of people in these facilities and that they were receiving the services needed to transition to permanent housing. My audits have also found that agencies were doing a poor job managing data that could more effectively be used to gauge progress towards achieving permanent housing, or better inform what programs are most used or needed by homeless people. My reports have also shown how New York State and City housing assistance programs could be made more effective, and warned of the damage cuts to federal housing assistance would cause. I believe access to safe, affordable housing should be a basic right for all New Yorkers and strongly support measures that promote this.

With federal housing assistance now under threat from Washington, getting this right has never been more urgent. I will continue using the power of the State Comptroller’s Office to identify where the system is failing and push for the changes needed to get people into stable, permanent housing.

Transit Oriented Development: Building more housing near existing transit is one of the best ways to address our housing supply shortage and reduce costs for working families. It puts homes where infrastructure already exists, shortens commutes, reduces car dependence, and supports the ridership and revenue that our transit systems need to thrive. If zoning changes are needed, they should be considered through a transparent process with community input.

My reports have documented how lagging housing production is driving New York's affordability crisis, and how the City's recent progress, including through initiatives like City of Yes, is a step in the right direction but still not enough to meet demand. I will continue using the power of the State Comptroller’s Office to identify where housing production is falling short and where investments can be better leveraged to build the kind of connected, affordable communities New Yorkers need.

Build Code Reform: The cost of building housing in New York is among the highest in the nation, and that is a major barrier to producing the supply we need. Reforms that reduce construction costs should be pursued; however, it is essential that they maintain the safety standards New Yorkers expect and deserve. My reports have documented the housing supply shortage driving our affordability crisis, with New York ranking 32nd in the nation in housing production from 2012 to 2022. Reducing the cost of construction is essential to closing that gap. But I have also issued several audits of the NYC Department of Buildings which consistently found concerning weaknesses in their oversight and responsiveness, which should be addressed to ensure resident and worker safety.

When building reforms are enacted, I will use the power of State Comptroller’s Office to ensure the agencies responsible for implementation are delivering on their intended goals. New York needs to make it easier and cheaper to build. I support reforms that move us in that direction while ensuring safety.

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My 2024 report that found a troubling increase in traffic fatalities, to the highest level in a decade, even as the number of vehicle miles travelled, licensed drivers, and traffic accidents had declined. That means our streets are getting more dangerous per trip, and we need effective tools to reverse that trend. Automated cameras are an enforcement tool that can help save lives, but the state and the City must ensure they are being effectively deployed, ensuring adequate public safety, privacy, and due process, and avoiding their use as simply a revenue generating tool. My NYC 311 Complaint monitoring tool and trend report both show illegal parking to be a persistent top complaint, with alleged violations including double-parking, blocking fire hydrants, crosswalks, bike lanes, sidewalks, bus stops and parking spaces for people with disabilities, all of which could impact street safety.   Safer streets are a prerequisite for the kind of city New Yorkers want to live in where people can walk, bike, and take transit with confidence.

This is a New York City decision, and the State Comptroller does not have a direct role in setting parking policy. However, I recognize that how New York City manages its street space has real implications for transit, congestion, safety, and revenue. As previously noted, I have highlighted how critical congestion pricing revenue is for the MTA’s capital program, and my NYC 311 Complaint monitoring tool and trend report both show illegal parking to be a persistent top complaint, indicating that this is an area where policy solutions are needed. I support the City exploring policies that make better use of public street space and generate revenue that can be reinvested in transit and infrastructure.

Transit Cost Containment: New York's transit construction costs are among the highest in the world, and that means fewer projects get built, riders wait longer for improvements, and taxpayers pay more for less. Bringing those costs down is essential to building the transit system New Yorkers need, and with more effective coordination among involved agencies and entities, these projects could be done more smoothly and efficiently. 

I report regularly on the need for the MTA to do a better job managing its financial outlook, debt, and capital program. My audits regularly show the need to address recurring problems, for example in safety and security at subway facilities, procurement, and contractor oversight, all of which create inefficiencies and impede progress. My audit of the MTA’s capital program project management found extensive project delays and cost overruns, and made several recommendations to improve timeliness and control costs. I will continue using the power of the State Comptroller’s Office to identify where transit dollars are being wasted and push for the reforms needed to build more, build faster, and bring costs under control.

Busway Expansion: Millions of New Yorkers, disproportionately working families and lower-income commuters, depend on buses, and bus speeds in the city are among the slowest in the nation. Expanding busways and pursuing bus rapid transit are proven, cost-effective ways to make transit faster and more reliable, reduce car dependence, and support our climate goals. I have reported on how the MTA must focus on safety, frequency and reliability to bring riders back, and have shown that bus riders have been slowest to return. Efforts to do bus redesigns that take community needs into consideration focused on improving speeds are sorely needed. I have also consistently supported adequate funding for the MTA and highlighted how critical congestion pricing revenue is for its capital program. Faster, more reliable bus service strengthens the case for transit investment and helps ensure that public transportation remains accessible and affordable for the New Yorkers who need it most.

I strongly support accelerating solar development to meet our Climate Act goals, and my reports have found that the state is behind in meeting them. My report on the state's Clean Energy Fund showed some progress on developing solar capacity specifically, and urged that this effort continue and accelerate. I believe maximizing public support for the siting of clean energy projects is critical, and a lack of transparency and accountability is harmful to both the process and the public. For example, my audit of the Public Service Commission's oversight of complaint monitoring found that the agency's efforts to serve the public could be improved if they tracked and documented broader complaints about more global issues, such as inadequate infrastructure or poor service reliability throughout a particular area. The audit found little or no documented follow-up to ensure broader issues were addressed.  Streamlining permitting and removing unnecessary barriers to solar projects should be a priority. At the same time, the balance between state climate goals and local authority over land use is important, and getting that balance right will determine whether these projects succeed and sustain public support over the long term. I will continue using the power of the State Comptroller’s Office to hold agencies accountable for meeting our renewable energy goals while ensuring the process is transparent and responsive to the communities where these projects are being built.

New York should be prioritizing the clean energy investments that can be scaled fastest and deliver the greatest benefit to communities — including solar, wind, storage, and grid modernization. My audits and reports have found that the state needs to accelerate progress on these fronts. I will continue to closely monitor, audit and report on the state’s progress in meeting its Climate Act goals.

New York is facing a multitude of challenges on the clean energy front, compounded by the loss of a supportive partner in Washington, in achieving ambitious clean energy goals, reducing our reliance on fossil fuels and more, and building resilience, all while ensuring a safe and reliable grid and improved affordability.

When New York created the Office of Renewable Energy Siting (ORES) to fast-track permitting for large-scale renewable energy projects under the Climate Act, it was exactly the kind of reform the state needed. The purpose was cutting through bureaucratic delays to build the clean energy infrastructure our climate goals demand. However, when I audited ORES in 2024, I found that the agency itself had become a bottleneck. Permitting was taking far longer than intended, and the streamlined process wasn't delivering the results it was designed to achieve. My audit made concrete recommendations to improve the process, and I called publicly for the agency to do better. What matters most to me is not only advocating for positive reforms but ensuring that the government follows through and achieves real results. If a reform fails to work in reality, it remains nothing more than an empty promise. 

My report on the state's progress toward its renewable energy goals found that New York was falling behind and needed to accelerate efforts across the board. These findings helped build the case for the kind of permitting and procedural reforms now being advanced by the Governor. 

I've brought the same approach to the pension fund. As Trustee, I set a $40 billion goal for sustainable investments and climate solutions and have committed more than $28 billion to date. Our results speak for themselves because the Fund is one of the best-managed and best-funded in the nation, and a recognized leader in sustainable investing.

This is what abundance looks like in practice, not just setting ambitious goals, but building the accountability and investment infrastructure to actually achieve them.

1. Continuing to ensure the strength of the state pension fund. The New York State Common Retirement Fund is one of the best-managed public pension funds in the nation, valued at nearly $300 billion and well-funded, meaning it has the resources to meet its obligations to more than 1.2 million members, retirees and beneficiaries. By comparison, the average public pension fund is only about 76% funded. I lowered the Fund's target rate of return from 8% to a nation-leading 5.9%, reducing risk for the state and its local governments and resisting the pressure to chase risky investments. Additionally, the $16.7 billion in annual pension payments, nearly 80% of which go to New York residents, fuel local economies in communities across the state. With market volatility and fiscal uncertainty ahead, protecting the state pension fund is protecting New York's economic foundation. I will continue to ensure the Fund is managed with the long-term discipline and diversification that have made it one of the strongest in the country.

2. Fighting fraud, corruption, and the misuse of public funds. When I became Comptroller, the office was mired in scandal. Restoring public trust was my first priority. I implemented a revised Executive Order on Ethics, hired a special counsel for ethics, and created an independent inspector general position. I established a Division of Investigations and significantly expanded the office's role in fighting public corruption. This initiative has resulted in more than 380 arrests and the recovery of more than $105 million. I have also instituted reforms to protect the pension fund from fraud, leading to millions more in restitution and dozens of additional arrests. I advanced procurement reform legislation to create tougher ethics requirements and stronger disclosure of conflicts of interest in the contracting process. Public trust is the foundation of effective government, and I will continue to fight for accountability and real consequences for those who abuse it.

3. Making government deliver for the people it's supposed to serve. Every dollar New York spends on housing, health care, education, mental health, and social services is a promise to the people who depend on those programs. The State Comptroller’s job is to make sure government keeps that promise. My audits have exposed where it's falling short, dire conditions in affordable housing developments, gaps in school mental health and special education services, failures in supportive housing and housing discrimination enforcement, and programs that aren't reaching the people who need them most. I have reported on the affordability crisis squeezing working families, growing homelessness and child poverty, and the damage federal cuts will cause to the safety net. As administrator of the NY ABLE program, I fought to expand eligibility so more New Yorkers with disabilities can save for their futures without losing essential benefits. Going forward, I am committed to using the audit and reporting power of this office not just to identify problems, but to drive measurable improvements in how programs are delivered because government that doesn't deliver isn't government that works.

As Trustee of the state pension fund, it is the Comptroller’s obligation under federal and state law to act in the sole interest of the Fund's members, retirees, and beneficiaries, and to pursue prudent, risk-adjusted returns. That fiduciary duty is not negotiable, and it cannot be subordinated to policy objectives, no matter how worthy they may be. The pension fund may not be used to fund programs at below-market returns and decisions cannot be made based on politics, or personal opinions or objections. It is the retirement security of more than 1.2 million public workers and retirees, and I will never put that at risk.

That said, fiduciary duty and responsible investment are not in conflict. Through my In-State Private Equity Investment Program, we have spurred investments and jobs in start-up, emerging and established New York businesses through private equity funds, and have grown the program to $2.7 billion in commitments. It is also my fiduciary responsibility to consider environmental, social, and governance factors in our investment process because they can influence both risk and return. Since I became Comptroller, the Fund has worked to address climate change-related investment risks. We launched the Green Strategic Investment Program in 2009, which committed $500 million to investments in various environmental technologies and assets, including wind and solar power. Since then, the Fund’s climate strategies have evolved, and now include a multi-faceted Climate Action Plan, and a goal of $40 billion in sustainable investments by 2035.