City Councilman Brad Lander says he’s gaining support in the crowded race for city comptroller.

He recently launched a campaign ad featuring well-known progessive Democrats, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, and Massachusetts Sen. Elizabeth Warren. 

Lander joined Pat Kiernan on "Mornings on 1" on Monday, painting himself as the best candidate to hold City Hall accountable to bring back New York’s economy.

“Our city is facing a critical moment as we emerge from the pandemic. We need a just recovery that brings our city back to life, revives our economy and confronts problems of economic inequality and affordability that we already had,” Lander said.

Lander faces a number of opponents in the Democratic primary, including City Council Speaker Corey Johnson. 

Lander has represented parts of Brooklyn since 2009 and co-founded the council’s progressive caucus. Prior to his election to the City Council, Lander was executive director of the Fifth Avenue Committee, a nonprofit organization that focuses on affordable housing. 

“We need a government that keeps us safe, that gets those schools open, that helps small businesses, but to deliver on those promises, it has to work better,” said Lander. “I’ll be a hawk on how we spend every single penny because we need it to be able to achieve all those goals we have.”

Lander said the key to bringing the city back is protecting workers' rights. His campaign staff recently unionized - security benefits that include a $4,000 monthly salary floor for full-time workers, paid sick leave, termination protections, paid time off to vote and subsidized health insurance.

“I was thrilled when my staff unionized. I'm going to fight for workers, and I'm glad they're fighting for themselves,” said Lander.

The progressive Democrat has made headlines for repeatedly receiving tickets for speeding in school zones.

“I'm ashamed of my driving record, but I'm committed to doing better,” said Lander.

As for the mayor’s race, Lander said he won’t publicly endorse a candidate.

Lander joined “Mornings on 1” for an ongoing series of interviews with the leading candidates for city comptroller.