United States Senator Elizabeth Warren has weighed in on the crowded race for New York City Comptroller, voicing support for City Councilmember Brad Lander, who’s been a vocal supporter of hers in the past.
In a statement provided to Gothamist/WNYC, Warren praised Lander’s work in the City Council.
“Brad Lander has led big fights to pass some of the strongest laws in the country to expand rights for workers and people being left behind by our economy,” the Massachusetts senator said. “As Comptroller, Brad will help lead a bold recovery to bring New York City out of this crisis stronger and fairer than before.”
Several members of the New York congressional delegation have voiced support for various candidates in the race, but so far Warren is the only standing U.S. Senator to do so. Warren has backed other local New York lawmakers in previous election cycles with her group Warren Democrats.
READ MORE: Learn more about what a Comptroller does and who's running
The Comptroller is arguably the second most powerful elected official in New York City, with hundreds of employees, a budget of more than $100 million dollars and the not-so-small task of serving as a fiduciary watchdog over the city’s budget and pension funds. The race currently has more than a dozen candidates.
On Tuesday City Council Speaker Corey Johnson officially tossed his hat into the ring, upending the field. With just over three months left before the June 22nd primary, endorsements are stacking up. The Hotel Trades Council, the hotel workers union, and District 37, the largest union of municipal workers have recently backed Johnson since he launched his bid.
So far, three candidates have qualified for matching funds through the city’s campaign finance board, taking in nearly $6 million combined in taxpayer funds: and giving them a leg up on other contenders; those include Lander, Zach Iscol, the founder of the nonprofit Headstrong Project, which provides free mental health treatment for Iraq and Afghanistan veterans; and State Senator Brian Benjamin.
Lander had voiced early support for Warren’s presidential campaign, penning an op-ed in which he addressed how his own straight, white male privilege allowed him to move up in politics early on. Warren later drummed up support for a package of bills pushed by Lander and other members of the City Council, dubbed the Essential Workers Bill of Rights. That legislation has since stalled in the council.
