Queens Assemblywoman Jenifer Rajkumar, a key political ally of Mayor Adams, has made her 2025 campaign for city comptroller official by launching a website and posting a video explaining why she is running for the fiscal watchdog position.
Rajkumar, who opened a campaign account for comptroller last month to begin raising money for his campaign, officially took the step late Tuesday night. The video release and website launch came after Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine filed paperwork last week to begin raising money for his own comptroller campaign in 2025.
The moves by Rajkumar and Levine come after incumbent Comptroller Brad Lander, a progressive Democrat and frequent critic of Adams, announced last month that he would run against the mayor in next June’s primary election.
In a press release, Rajkumar touted her experience as a lawyer as why she is the ideal person to replace Lander as comptroller, a position responsible for auditing city agencies and overseeing the city government’s pension funds.
An entire section of the press release is also devoted to describing Rajkumar’s close ties to the mayor, noting that he has called her a “close friend.” In addition to being politically aligned with Adams, the moderate Democratic mayor regularly brings Rajkumar to his side at press conferences that don’t directly concern her district or issues she directly works on.
Some government veterans said it was problematic for Rajkumar to view Adams as a close ally, given that the comptroller job comes with the responsibility of serving as a check on the mayor and his administration on financial matters.
But Rajkumar said in a statement that “collaboration” with the mayor is a key part of the comptroller’s job.
“It’s a pleasure to work with my colleagues at every level of government, from the mayor to the governor to the state legislature to the city council,” she said. “The greatest moments in government – the historic moments we live for – happen by working together. Together, we will take our city to the next level.”
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