Raj Goyle, entrepreneur, attorney and former state legislator, has thrown his hat into the ring to get the Democratic Party endorsement in his run for New York State Comptroller. He and several other candidates are pitted against current fellow Democratic incumbent Thomas P. DiNapoli who has held the office since 2007.
Democratic candidates who have declared they are in the race to date, include Drew Warshaw an affordable housing advocate; Adem Bunkedekko, former executive director of Coro New York who tried twice to win a seat to the US Congress from NY District ; And Goyle, a Kansas State Representative from 2007-2011.
DiNapoli has never had to face a primary opponent in any previous re-election, and has continued to be a popular official, according to Politico, which means it will be a hard-fought race for Goyle. But he has proven his ability as a come-from-behind candidate when he defeated a longtime incumbent Republican incumbent in Kansas to win a seat in that State Assembly in 2006.
Kicking off his campaign on Thursday, September 18, 2025, Goyle indicated he had a “new vision” for the office, “which for too long has been out of sight, out of mind” during the 2nd Trump term.
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In his campaign launch video, available on Linkedin, Goyle says he did not make this decision lightly, but felt “a true calling to re-engage in public service and be back on the ballot.”
Goyle and his wife Monica, moved to New York 15 years ago, but his immigrant parents immigrated to the US and Rochester, NY back in 1970. Brought up in the Midwest, Goyle has brought up his children in New York.
“The New York State Comptroller’s office is the most powerful office you have never heard of,” he says in the video. “It has enormous capacity to tackle the affordability crisis plaguing New York, return more money to people’s pockets and be a force to fight the national forces battling NY values. It can either be a rubber stamp for the status quo, or it can be a lever for fairness, accountability, and opportunity. My mission is clear: to give New Yorkers their power back,” says Goyle. He adds that he wants to offer Democrats “a blueprint for re-imagining governing using every lever of authority, and proving to voters that the party stands for bold action.”
The New York Comptroller is the chief fiscal officer of of he state and his responsibilities include: Protecting taxpayer funds by uncovering waste, fraud and abuse; Managing the State pension fund of $280 million and administering the State retirement system; returning unclaimed funds, exercizing oversight on state and NYC local finances; training local government officials and school districts, as well as reviewing State contracts and payments.
A September 22 press release said Goyle plans to broaden the scope of the office of Comptroller to tackle New York State’s “most pressing issues” such as affordability.
“I’m the only candidate in the race who’s been both an elected official and a successful private sector CEO. I know how to manage money and fight—and win—tough battles,” he said, accusing the incumbent of reflecting “the wrong priorities for New York.”
Goyle added. “The Democratic Party is at a crossroads. We’re at 40-year lows in public trust because people don’t know what we stand for and what we can deliver. Nothing makes my blood boil more than wasting political power and money—and this office is a perfect example of that waste. I’m going to put an end to that.”
With tongue-in-cheek, Goyle announced, “A Plan to Transform the Most Powerful Office You’ve Never Heard Of” and his intention he adds, is to be “proactive” in wielding power.
“I grew up reading about FDR and JFK. The Democratic Party I am proud to be a member of once believed in using power to improve people’s lives. The New Deal and the Great Society created the foundations of New York’s safety net. We need Democrats who fight like that—and I’m going to show how we can do it again,” Goyle said.
Goyle’s platform centers on three core priorities which include “standing as a bulwark against Trumpism”, rebalancing the pension fund, and eliminating waste and excess to secure retirees’ futures.
He details four key elements he wants to focus on if elected:
- Investing in New York Housing: Redirect pension investments from out-of-state developments to building affordable housing here in New York.
“The Comptroller should treat affordable housing as a core asset class that benefits New Yorkers,” said Goyle
- Delivering Childcare and Debt Relief for New Yorkers: Issue groundbreaking audit on the current economic hit to New York without universal child care
- Cracking Down on Exploitative Business Practices and Scams; and
- Reducing Wall Street Waste.
“Stop wasting billions on excessive asset manager fees for cookie-cutter approaches and instead use best-in-class software to identify proactive investments and maximize returns,” Goyle’s plan says.
- Rooting Out Corruption and Abuse.
“Use the office’s 250 auditors and subpoena power to expose corruption in local government, investigate utility companies that gouge consumers, and root out other abuse taking place under the over $250 billion in state spending overseen by the office.”
Acting as the state’s procurement watchdog, the Comptroller reviews and approves many state contracts and can withhold approval or reject agreements that contravene state law or labor protections, including those that would facilitate ICE raids, Goyle’s platform says.
“ICE raids are a threat to the New York economy and our people. We value our immigrants in New York,” Goyle said. “The Comptroller should be on the front lines of that fight, not just personally, but using the power of the office to make sure that we do not allow ICE and we don’t allow the federal government to trample the rights of New Yorkers.”
Goyle’s team points to what it describes as his “Proven Track Record of Fighting and Winning” which includes his 2006 victory from a Republican held district, to the Kansas House of Representatives, winning a re-election; then building a technology company in New York and raising four rounds of financing for it.
“I knocked 15,000 doors to win campaigns nobody thought I could win,” said Goyle. “It took me four years to sign my first client as a CEO. These experiences forge steel, and that’s what we need to transform this office and fight Trump.”
Most recently, Goyle is the founder of Phone Free New York, which is leading an initiative to ban phones in schools. He is the board chair of the think tank 5BORO Institute that aims to solve public policy issues facing the NYC Metro area.
A graduate of Duke University with a JD from Harvard Law School, Goyle has also worked as a civil rights lawyer at the American Civil Liberties Union and was CEO and co-founder of Bodhala, a legal artificial intelligence company which was acquired in 2021.