Brooklyn Councilman Justin Brannan is the third official to show interest in running in the 2025 comptroller’s race.

What You Need To Know

  • Brooklyn Councilman Justin Brannan is the latest official to show interest in running for comptroller next year 

  • Brannan currently serves as the City Council's finance chair and is term-limited to come next year. His top issue is universal child care

  • The only official candidate for comptroller, so far, is Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar, who is a close ally of Mayor Eric Adams 

  • The primary isn't until June 2025. Other potential candidates include Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine

“Ultimately, it comes down to the money and making sure that the city is spending money wisely. It all comes down to the money. Money is power and power is for the people in this city," he said. 

Brannan currently serves as the City Council’s finance chair. He is also term-limited out of office after next year and says running is about continuing to serve New Yorkers. 

Brannan told NY1 his top priority would be funding universal child care. 

“I spent over 10 years in a punk rock band touring the world. For me, this isn’t about my career, it's something that I’m interested in. If it becomes an open seat, it's something that I would run for,” Brannan said. “As comptroller, your job is to make sure the money is being spent wisely to audit agencies that you don’t think are doing a good job. It’s not personal.” 

Current Comptroller Brad Lander is running for mayor, but he could still potentially change his mind come next year.

Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine is also eyeing the seat.  

The only official candidate in the race, so far, is Queens Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar. 

“We have the most expensive health care system in the world, we have the largest education system and yet we have some of the worst outcomes. I’m going to change this as the next comptroller of the City of New York.” 

Rajkumar said her top issue would be managing the municipal workers’ pensions. 

“I’m going to make it a priority to make sure our pension is strong and that we maximize our pension returns. We can do better. I will be the guardian of the hard earned retirement money of our pensioners," she said.

Rajkumar is a loyal political ally of Mayor Eric Adams. She joins him at many events around the city, including ones outside her district. 

The assemblywoman said despite the closeness she will be able to stay independent while also saying she would take a collaborative approach to the role. 

“Previous comptrollers have used the position to play gotcha with the mayor. They issue gotcha reports just so they can make headlines,” Rajkumar said. “To really serve New Yorkers, you have to hold the mayor accountable, but in a way that is constructive, and that is exactly what I will do. Other times, the best way to make [a] change is to collaborate. “

The primary for city comptroller is set for June 2025.