Brooklyn Councilman Justin Brannan announced Thursday he is officially entering the race for New York City comptroller, setting up a competitive June primary.
Brannan, a Democrat representing the city’s 47th Council District in Bay Ridge, currently serves as the City Council’s finance chair. He was originally elected to serve the city’s 43rd Council District in 2018 and defeated Republican incumbent Ari Kagan in 2023 following redistricting in southern Brooklyn. He will be term limited and unable to run again for City Council in 2025 as councilmembers can only serve two consecutive four-year terms.
“I love the city with every bone in my body, but I'm worried that we're heading to a place now where the gap between the haves and the have nots has never been wider. And I believe that we've got one tool to make that better, to fix that. The sharpest tool we have is the city budget,” he said of his reasonings for entering the race during an interview on “Mornings On 1.”
He will face two other Democrats in the primary: Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar, who represents parts of central Queens, and Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine. No Republicans have declared intentions to run for the position, meaning the winner of the June primary will run unopposed during the November general election.
Brannan said, however, his experience as finance chair sets him apart from his competition.
“I wouldn’t be running for comptroller if I wasn't already currently the finance chair. I've got the experience. I live and breathe the city budget, because it's my job,” Brannan said. “Parallel to my campaign, I'm going to be negotiating and overseeing the budget process now as we head into another budget negotiation. So this is my life, and I've really fell in love with the process because this is how we make life more affordable for New Yorkers. And every dime of that budget needs to go back into the programs and priorities that New Yorkers want to see.”
The current comptroller, Brad Lander, will not seek re-election as he pursues a bid for mayor.
The city comptroller serves as New York City’s top fiscal watchdog, responsible for auditing city agencies, managing pension funds and reviewing city contracts. The role can also sometimes help balance the mayor, ensuring fiscal accountability and transparency.