The second longest-serving comptroller in state history, state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli secured his fourth term Tuesday night with a victory over Republican Paul Rodriguez, Spectrum News projects.
DiNapoli holds a 56.9% to 43.1% lead, with nearly 83% of the vote reporting as of Wednesday morning, according to The Associated Press.
Responsible for the state pension fund and keeping tabs on the productivity of state and local agencies across New York, DiNapoli has quietly remained a steady hand amid the turmoil of Albany politics. He’s served under four governors and has been re-elected four times since his appointment to the role by Gov. Eliot Spitzer in 2007 — even as a majority of New Yorkers have no opinion of him, according to an October Siena College poll.
“A lot of folks have come and gone, but I think it speaks to the stability that we’ve brought to the office of comptroller, which is very important to keep state government functioning and I hope the people of New York give me another four years to do the job I love to do,” DiNapoli told NY1 in October.
Under his direction, the state pension fund has grown from $154.5 billion to $272 billion, even as he’s moved to divest from oil and gas companies and encourage directors of corporate boards to address climate change.
As he continues to serve as the state’s financial watchdog, DiNapoli will be a check on the next governor’s budgets, offer his guidance to help New Yorkers prepare for a potential recession, and advocate for responsible corporate policy by leveraging the state’s massive pension fund. He will also push to restore powers to the comptroller’s office that have consistently been stripped by governors over his tenure.