Indian American candidate Raj Goyle, who ran a lively campaign to displace long-time Democratic incumbent Thomas DiNapoli, failed in his bid in the Tuesday, June 23, 2026 primary.
DiNapoli won with a hefty 63 percent of the vote from fellow Democrats. Goyle was able to secure 14 percent. DiNapoli now faces Republican Joseph Hernandez in the November 3 general elections.
The former Indian American Kansas State Assemblyman, known for his political chops and for ousting a GOP candidate in Kansas, could not achieve the same results within his own Democratic establishment which stuck with its traditional support for DiNapoli.
Goyle, an entrepreneur and philanthropist, thanked supporters for believing in him.
ADVERTISEMENT
“I am spending time with my family and thankful to everyone who supported me,” he told Desi Talk, not wishing to discuss future plans.
“Tuesday’s results were not what we hoped for, but I could not be more grateful to everyone who believed in this campaign and the vision we fought for together,” Goyle said to his supporters in an email June 23.
“I’m sorry I couldn’t get this done, but we built something special,” he said, noting that he and his supporters covered the length and breadth of New York City, “listened to communities in every corner of the state, and brought new voices into a conversation that too often leaves working people behind.”
His platform focused on lowering utility costs for New Yorkers; ensuring responsible investment of state pension fund, “not in fossil fuel companies driving the climate crisis, not in Palantir’s surveillance technology, and not in genocide abroad.”
Instead, Goyle called for investing the pension funds “in affordable housing, childcare, and the infrastructure families need to thrive, while generating strong returns for retirees.”
He thanked supporters and volunteers as well as family members who stood with him, adding, “This campaign may be ending, but the fight for a more affordable, more just, and more accountable New York continues. I am proud of what we built together, and I am optimistic about what comes next.”
The son of physician parents, Goyle grew up in Wichita, Kansas, and got involved in advocacy and politics early in life, picketing the chemical plant in his town and starting a pickup recycling program while in high school.
A graduate of Duke University and Harvard Law School, Goyle’s legal career has been focused on public service and civil rights.
According to his bio on the campaign website, Goyle trained at the NAACP Legal Defense Fund, Public Citizen, and after 9/11, joined the ACLU to fight for immigrant and civil rights for all Americans.
In his 2006 race for the Kansas State House, he defeated a GOP incumbent in a district no Democrat had ever carried. “By personally knocking on 10,000 doors, Raj built a coalition that cut across party lines,” the bio notes.
In 2010, he moved to New York, where his wife Monica’s family is located. He worked in philanthropy, supporting many non-profits, including Indian American Impact, a political action committee. He also actively supported Democratic candidates in various races.
In 2014, he co-founded Bodhala, a legal technology company which grew significantly. He oversaw the sale of Bodhala in 2021. He then “stepped out of the public arena to become a primary caretaker for his ailing father, who passed away in 2022,” according to the bio, re-entering the political arena when he declared his candidacy for NYC Comptroller in 2025.