Thomas P. DiNapoli, New York State\u2019s comptroller for nearly 20 years, fended off two challengers from the left to win the Democratic primary on Tuesday, according to The Associated Press.<\/p>\n
Given the primacy of Democrats in New York, Mr. DiNapoli\u2019s victory means that, barring death or scandal, he is poised to become the longest serving comptroller in the state\u2019s history.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur opponents tried over and over to derail our work with false attacks and reckless promises, but the people of New York once again have seen the value of steady, responsible leadership in these chaotic times,\u201d Mr. DiNapoli said in a statement.<\/p>\n
\u201cNow the campaign is over,\u201d he continued, \u201cand we need to get back to the hard work that we do protecting taxpayers and retirees, investing in New York\u2019s future, pushing back against Trump\u2019s extremism and helping working families get by in Trump\u2019s terrible economy.\u201d<\/p>\n
The comptroller is the primary trustee of the state\u2019s roughly $300 billion pension fund and also has the responsibility to audit local and statewide agencies and municipalities. Mr. DiNapoli\u2019s long tenure had been used as a cudgel by his opponents in the primary, Raj Goyle and Drew Warshaw,<\/a> who, capitalizing on a moment of anti-incumbent fervor, sought to argue that Mr. DiNapoli had served well past his expiration date.<\/p>\n Both challengers focused on hot-button progressive issues, like the state pension fund\u2019s investments in Israeli bonds and the company Palantir. They also talked passionately about how the comptroller could be using auditing powers more aggressively to investigate the relationships between federal immigration authorities and municipalities.<\/p>\n But neither Mr. Goyle, a lawyer who previously served in the Kansas State Legislature, nor Mr. Warshaw, a former New York State official and nonprofit executive, excited the progressive coalition that propelled candidates like Mayor Zohran Mamdani to success. Groups like the Working Families Party and the local chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America stayed out of the race.<\/p>\n At the same time, Mr. DiNapoli, who had never faced a competitive primary since taking office in 2007, received endorsements from the state\u2019s Democratic Party, Gov. Kathy Hochul, Attorney General Letitia James and a number of large unions.<\/p>\n With 43 percent of votes counted, Mr. DiNapoli was leading by 43 percentage points, while Mr. Warshaw had 21 percent support and Mr. Goyle had 15 percent support.<\/p>\n The scant public opinion polling available during the campaign indicated that few voters knew much about Mr. DiNapoli, despite his decades-long tenure in statewide office.<\/p>\n Still, Mr. DiNapoli, 72, presented himself as a stable, nonpolitical figure who had been a good steward of the retirement fund.<\/p>\n