Indian American candidate for NY State Comptroller Raj Goyle was arrested March 25, 2026, afternoon by New York State Troopers outside the Attorney General’s Office in Albany.
He was among more than a dozen climate advocates protesting Governor Kathy Hochul’s proposal to what they consider a “roll back” of key provisions of the New York climate law.
“I was just arrested in Albany. We can’t afford to dismantle our state climate law. The time to act is now. Thank you for standing in solidarity,” Goyle posted on X.
Goyle was handcuffed inside the State Capitol after joining demonstrators calling on state leaders to uphold the Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act and reject proposed changes that some activists say would delay enforcement and weaken the state’s climate commitments.
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“The people of New York fought hard for this law, and we’re not going to let it be quietly dismantled to protect corporate profits,” Goyle is quoted saying in a press release. “This is about whether the government works for people or for the industries that have delayed action for decades.”
Goyle claimed he is the only candidate to pledge to divest from fossil fuels from day one, while also serving as a watchdog for utility rates and the expansion of data centers.
“At a time when families are struggling with rising costs, the answer isn’t to weaken our climate law. It’s to take on the root of the problem, fight for climate justice, lower energy costs, and invest in a future that actually works for working people.”
The Climate Leadership and Community Protection Act, passed in 2019, set some of the most ambitious emissions reduction targets in the country.
Goyle joined a coalition of organizations including Renewable Heat Now, WE ACT for Environmental Justice, Bedford 2030, NY Communities for Change, NYPIRG at CCNY, NYC-DSA, Popular Democracy for Climate, Extinction Rebellion NYC, Climate Defiance, Food & Water Watch, Third Act, and Rise and Resist NY.
Goyle is the founder of Phone Free New York and the former board chair of the 5BORO Institute, a public policy think tank in New York City.
A former Kansas State lawmaker, Goyle has worked as a civil rights lawyer at the American Civil Liberties Union and was CEO and co-founder of Bodhala, a technology company which was acquired in 2021.