Jenifer Rajkumar running for NYC public advocate

Indian American Assemblywoman nixes bid for city comptroller, announces new campaign to “better help a city in crisis”

By Arun Kumar

Indian American New York Assemblymember Jenifer Rajkumar is dropping her campaign for city comptroller to challenge incumbent Jumaane Williams for the role of New York City public advocate, to “better help a city in crisis.”

Rajkumar, 42, a close ally of Mayor Eric Adams, announced the switch-up five months after announcing her campaign to be the city’s fiscal watchdog,

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“Our City is facing a crisis of governance and can no longer afford the out-of-touch agenda of extremists like Jumaane Williams,” Rajkumar stated. “Our city deserves better than extremism and incompetence. We deserve real and tested leadership that focuses on the things we all care about – public safety, affordable rent, and a high quality of life.”

“I am stepping up to serve on a bigger and broader platform that will allow me to better help a city in crisis. We need to take our City back from the incompetents and the extremists,” Rajkumar, a Democrat, said

“The politics of our city must change this 2025. Instead of being confined to just fiscal issues, you have a broader platform to address all pressing issues affecting our city,” Rajkumar added.

The Queens lawmaker often appears alongside Adams’ at press conferences, even earning a shoutout in the mayor’s State of the City speech earlier this month.

Rajkumar filed to run for comptroller last summer after incumbent Brad Lander announced he was running for mayor. The controller’s race has gotten competitive, with candidates Manhattan Borough President Mark Levine and City Council Finance Chair Justin Brannan both raking in more donations and endorsements, according to local media reports. Rajkumar has about $275,000 in her campaign coffers — more than Williams’ $69,000.

Citywide primaries will be held June 24. The public advocate is the next in line of succession to be mayor should the mayor have to step down for any reason.

The first South Asian-American woman elected to New York State Office, Rajkumar has served in the New York State Assembly since 2021 where she pushed for worker protections and passed a bill establishing the state’s first-ever Asian American & Pacific Island Commission.

In an op-ed for City and State New York, she highlighted her experience as a lawyer, legislator, and advocate, mentioning her work on legislation such as making Diwali a school holiday and passing laws to protect domestic workers’ rights.