2026 New York State Comptroller candidates – The Ithacan

Thomas P. DiNapoli, Democrat

Democrat Thomas P. DiNapoli is running for his fifth term as New York state Comptroller. DiNapoli was appointed Comptroller in 2007 after his predecessor was removed from office because of a corruption scandal. DiNapoli said one of his proudest accomplishments in the role thus far has been rebuilding the credibility of the Comptroller’s office.

“Making sure that we got the office back up and running, and conveyed internally to staff, and certainly externally to all stakeholders and all New Yorkers, that we put a high priority on ethics, on transparency, that I think was probably my most important achievement to make the office relevant again,” DiNapoli said in an interview with The Ithacan. 

DiNapoli said if he is reelected, he will prioritize helping the state and local governments navigate the effects of federal cuts coming out of Washington, D.C. He pointed to the Trump Administration’s cuts in healthcare, SNAP benefits and education as areas of concern.

“We see more of our local governments in what we call fiscal stress,” DiNapoli said. “So providing support to local governments is going to be even more important during our next term.”

According to his campaign website, other priority areas for DiNapoli include addressing climate change, growing the state pension fund, and exposing corruption and abuse of public funds.

Joseph Hernandez, Republican

Republican Joseph Hernandez is running for New York state Comptroller. Hernandez immigrated to the United States from Cuba when he was 7 years old. With a background in science, finance and healthcare, he currently works on Wall Street. Hernandez’s campaign for Comptroller is his first foray into state politics. Hernandez said he sees it as an opportunity to serve America. 

“I’m seeing the evolution of an ideology here in America, an ideology I left,” Hernandez said in an interview with The Ithacan. “We were raised in communism. … I thought it was my time to sort of not only use it as a platform to articulate the dangers of communism, but also to give back.”

Hernandez said one of his priorities as Comptroller would be getting New York state’s debt under control while also addressing an affordability problem that is causing more New Yorkers to leave the state. 

“You have your revenue base leaving,” Hernandez said. “You have a debt obligation that’s massive, and then you have a budget that’s massive. These are, in my opinion, a fiscal crisis in the making.”

According to his campaign website, other priority areas for Hernandez include lowering state spending, using audits to fight fraud and abuse, and more effectively investing the state pension fund.