New York State Comptroller
Adem T. Bunkeddeko
Adem T. Bunkeddeko is a Democrat running for New York State Comptroller. He combines lived experience with deep professional expertise across government, nonprofits, and finance - giving him both the insight and the practical know-how to help everyday New Yorkers thrive.
Born at Elmhurst Hospital in Queens to Ugandan refugees who fled the country's civil war, Adem was raised with his siblings nearby in a rent-stabilized one-bedroom apartment, where his parents turned hardship into their own version of the American Dream. A product of the New York City public school system, he earned scholarships to attend prep school and college, becoming one of the first in his family to earn a college degree. He received a B.A. from Haverford College, where he studied political science and philosophy, and later an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School.
Adem began his career as a grassroots organizer in Brooklyn before taking on roles at the Bedford Stuyvesant Restoration Corporation and Brooklyn Community Services, where he built programs connecting residents to education, job training, and the chance to move up and build a better life.
In leadership positions at the Empire State Development Corporation and the Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC), he helped advance initiatives to expand affordable housing, support small businesses, and strengthen economic mobility across New York.
Adem later joined Coro New York as Executive Director. As Coro's chief executive, he led the organization through the COVID-19 pandemic, strengthening its finances and expanding programming to a broader and more diverse group of emerging leaders.
Adem has also worked in finance, helping manage and evaluate investments anchored in strong fundamentals, long-term value creation, and public purpose.
He currently serves on the board of House of SpeakEasy and previously served on Brooklyn Community Board 8 and the board of the Center for Justice Innovation. He has twice run for Congress in Central Brooklyn.
Adem and his wife live in Brooklyn.
Thomas Dinapoli
New York State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli is fighting back against extremists who want to roll back women's rights, attack the foundations of our democracy, harm our retirees, and threaten New York's fiscal health. With an unparalleled record of public service, Tom has served our communities proudly for decades and will continue to stand up for New Yorkers as State Comptroller.
Tom is a born and bred New Yorker, born on Long Island and currently residing in Nassau County. The grandson of immigrants and the son of union workers, Tom learned firsthand the importance of organizing, hard work, and community. Prior to entering government, Tom graduated from Mineola Public Schools and went on to earn a BA in History from Hofstra University and a Master's degree from The New School.
As a young activist, Tom successfully ran for the Mineola Board of Education, becoming the first 18-year-old to hold public office in New York. Tom was then elected to the New York State Assembly where he was recognized as a leading voice on environmental issues, education, civil rights, and fiscal policy.
Tom was appointed Comptroller in 2007 when the office was mired in scandal. Immediately, he took steps to restore the reputation and integrity of the Comptroller's office. He has aggressively fought public corruption and the misuse of taxpayers' dollars and spoke out against fiscal gimmicks and government inefficiency. He has strengthened one of the nation's top public pension funds, which stands at an all-time high of $291 billion and is one of the most stable and best run public pension funds in the country. As the fund's trustee, he took bold steps to protect the state pension fund from climate change, fought against exorbitant corporate pay packages and stood up for New York's working families. The people elected him to full terms in 2010, 2014, 2018 and 2022.
As the people's fiscal watchdog, Tom has worked for taxpayers by following the money at all levels of government, from local fire districts to massive state agencies and public authorities. He has identified billions in waste, fraud, and cost savings through his audits. His investigations into fraud and corruption have led to over 380 arrests and $105.5 million in recovered funds. When he found problems, Tom pushed for change and held government accountable to ensure New Yorkers get the most for their money.
Above all else, Tom DiNapoli is known for integrity, independence, and steadfast leadership. From the moment he took office, his commitment to protecting taxpayer dollars by fighting corruption and waste while safeguarding retirees' pensions has been clear.
Raj Goyle
Raj Goyle is the founder of Phone Free New York and the board chair of the 5BORO Institute, a leading think tank in New York City dedicated to solving public policy issues facing the NYC Metro area. Raj has an extensive career in politics and advocacy, including four years of service in the Kansas Legislature, where he was one of the first Indian Americans elected to office in the country and flipped one of the reddest districts in the country. He worked as a civil rights lawyer at the American Civil Liberties Union and was CEO and co-founder of Bodhala, a technology company based on rooting out corporate waste, which was acquired in 2021.
Drew Warshaw
Drew Warshaw is a Democrat running for State Comptroller, bringing a fresh perspective, big ideas, and an extraordinary combination of government, private-sector, and nonprofit experience - a proven record of tackling entrenched problems and delivering results. From leading one of the biggest rebuilding efforts New York has ever seen - the World Trade Center - to expanding renewable energy and affordable housing across the country - solving our most intractable problems is Drew's driving force.
A lifelong New Yorker, Drew grew up with his two sisters (he is a triplet) one block south of East Harlem. A view north and one south gave him a visceral insight into one of the starkest divides in New York. A witness to the random and sometimes not random distribution of power, wealth and a fair shake.
For the last five years, Drew has taken on the affordable housing crisis, as Chief Operating Officer and then as co-CEO of Enterprise Community Partners, where he helped lead a nonprofit that has created and preserved more than 1 million affordable homes.
In the wake of 9/11, Drew stepped up to rebuild his hometown. As Chief of Staff of The Port Authority of NY & NJ, Drew played a central role in reviving the rebuilding of the World Trade Center, which had been stalled by years of gridlock and finger-pointing. He rolled up his sleeves, brought people together, and stood up to powerful interests - transforming a symbol of dysfunction into one of resilience.
Drew then joined a Fortune 250 power company to build their renewable energy division. Under his leadership, the division transformed into an independent renewable developer and owner. Drew led its community solar business, helping build an industry from scratch, putting more than $1 billion of steel in the ground, and democratizing access to renewable energy for Americans all across the country.
Drew proudly served on the board of directors of Union Settlement, one of NYC's oldest service providers, and started his career at the Center for American Progress and then at the New York Governor's Office.
Drew earned a BA from Cornell University and an MBA from Columbia Business School. He and his wife, Charlotte, live in Lower Manhattan with their two sons, Benjamin and Jacob.
Drew stepped up when the World Trade Center was on the ground. He's stepping up again to take on a new crisis - an affordability crisis that is hurting New Yorkers and sapping the soul of what makes New York New York: its people.
Drew often says, "The cavalry is us" as a reminder that help is not inevitable - that it's up to all of us. It hit him after reading an old Jewish proverb - "If not now, when?" so he took the "us" seriously and decided to run for State Comptroller with unmatched experience, a bigness of thinking, and the fierce urgency of now that this moment requires.