Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar announces candidacy for Comptroller of NYC

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State Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar, (D-38), has officially announced Monday, August 12, 2024, her candidacy for the New York City’s Comptroller’s position. Rajkumar made the announcement in a short video posted online along with the launch of her campaign website.

“I’m in it for the New Yorkers who toil 25 hours a day, eight days a week, and can’t afford life-saving health care or quality education,” Rajkumar says in the campaign video.

If elected, the Assemblywoman will become the first woman of color elected to the post in the 225-year history of the post’s existence. Rajkumar has been the first South Asian American woman ever elected to a New York State public office in 2020.

At the launch of her campaign website, Rajkumar said, “The New Yorkers that inspire me are the strivers, all of us who have created something out of nothing.” She mentioned how her mom was born in a mud hut in India, and how her parents immigrated to the United States with just $300 and a suitcase. Rajkumar said it was to honor the promise of a country that gave her family so much opportunity, she decided to dedicate her life to public service.

If elected as the Comptroller, Rajkumar has promised to first guard NYC’s 5 pension funds totaling to nearly $270 billion in assets, calling it hard earned retirement money of our city workers, firefighters, teachers and police officers.

Best known in the Indian American community for giving a successful major push and full support to make Diwali a public school holiday after the community had been working at it for 20 years,

Rajkumar is known to be a person of the people. She has appeared at all community events and is known to have talked to all people who approached her. In her office as Assemblywoman, she has helped pass important city legislation like the Diwali legislation and other legislations such as the closing of smoke shops in the city, and several other bills to expedite government processes.

In his traditional role, a Comptroller deals mainly with finances in an office, Rajkumar said, which is unlike her current role as Assemblywoman in which she is constantly in the midst of people on locations. Rajkumar said she has the experience, passion and energy to handle New York City’s budget which is the largest municipal budget in the world.

A graduate of Stanford Law School and the University of Pennsylvania with accounting, law and economics major, she has also been a professor at CUNY’s Lehman College.

Rajkumar’s track record also includes successful collaboration with the U.S. Department of Justice on a case holding multinational corporations accountable for defrauding and overcharging the federal government. It also includes her 2017 position as the Director of Immigration Affairs & Special Counsel for New York State in 2017, her experience as a lawyer, and a former labor attorney.

Rajkumar will compete against Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine who last week announced his candidacy. She would also likely face City Council Finance Chair Justin Brannan.  If elected, Rajkumar would replace Comptroller Brad Lander who has recently announced he would run for Mayoral position next year.

In her campaign video Rajkumar says: “Every win I have ever had has been against all odds. I live for this; public service is my passion.”