With City Comptroller Brad Lander now pursuing a mayoral bid, the race to fill his position is heating up.

On Wednesday night, Democratic Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar, who represents parts of central Queens, officially launched her campaign with a kickoff event in Woodside, Queens, surrounded by supporters.

During an interview on "Mornings On 1" Thursday, Rajkumar, 42, then outlined her vision for the office, emphasizing commitment to safeguarding the city's finances and tackling issues, such as cost of living and civil rights.

"As comptroller, you fix government inefficiency, and that's very important," Rajkumar said. "So I'm here to make government work for the people and fix government. That's what I do. I fix things."

When asked about her priorities within the comptroller's multifaceted role, which includes auditing city finances, managing pension funds and advocating for reforms, Rajkumar said she is most interested in being a watchdog for all branches of government.

"Comptroller is traditionally a check on the mayor, but it's also a check on the president, on the governor, on the state Legislature, on the City Council, on every entity that affects city finances," she said. "That is my view of comptroller. I am the fiscal guardian of New York City, so anyone that impacts our finances, I'm going to advocate. I'm going to check on them. That's my view of it."

Rajkumar, who has represented New York's 38th Assembly district since 2020, is among three Democratic candidates running in the June primary, alongside Brooklyn City Council member Justin Brannan and Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine.

It remains unclear whether she will have the support of Mayor Eric Adams, but the two maintain a close working relationship, with Rajkumar often appearing alongside the mayor at press conferences and events. Even as Adams faces a federal trial in April and a rash of turnover in his administration, Rajkumar said their “relationship has stayed the same.”

“One of my strengths is that I built partnerships across government and with the governor, with the mayor, with all of my colleagues in the Legislature, and that helps me get things done,” Rajkumar said. “I’m very proud of the alliances I’ve been able to build, and the mayor has supported a lot of my initiatives, and that’s helped me win for the people of New York City.”

Addressing affordability, Rajkumar said the comptroller's auditing powers are key to cutting waste and improving city efficiency.

"You get to go in there and audit the city agencies and see where we are wasting money," she said. "And all of that comes together to help us make the city more affordable."

She specifically pointed to the New York City Housing Authority as an agency in need of significant reform, citing "mismanagement for many years."

As the race for comptroller is expected to gain intensity after the holidays, Rajkumar expressed confidence in her campaign's momentum.

"I'm very proud of the strength of my campaign," she said. "And the last fundraising deadline, I raised more money than any of the candidates. And last night, we had incredible momentum. At my campaign kickoff, we had hundreds of people from every corner of this city. And I'm very proud of how we're bringing together the entire city behind this campaign."