ALBANY, NY — Joseph Hernandez, Republican candidate for New York State Comptroller, released the following statement in response to Kathy Hochul’s 2025 State of the State Address:
“Today, Governor Hochul failed to articulate a credible plan for the future of our state that protects New York taxpayers or invests responsibly in long-term growth. At a time when pervasive fraud, waste, and abuse are making New York more expensive for families, the Governor missed a critical opportunity to reassure taxpayers that her administration will restore responsibility and accountability to massive state programs like Medicaid.
Instead, the Governor used the State of the State to once again defend her congestion pricing tax while failing to call for desperately needed reform of the MTA, which remains America’s most expensive and poorly run public authority. Without structural reform and real oversight, taxpayers will continue to shoulder the burden of cost overruns, mismanagement, and opaque contracting.
To truly make the Empire State more affordable, New York must reduce costs, root out wasteful spending, and make disciplined, strategic investments that grow the economy. The Governor’s speech offered more spending promises, but no serious plan to control costs or stop fraud before it happens.
As State Comptroller, I will deploy AI and other readily available technology to aggressively audit state spending in real time, prevent fraudulent payments before taxpayer dollars leave the system, and enforce true fiscal discipline across state agencies and public authorities. I will also work to grow the state pension fund and strengthen New York’s economy through targeted investments in advanced manufacturing, high-tech, and the life sciences to attract and create new jobs.
New York does not have a revenue problem. It has an accountability problem. And that is exactly what I am running to fix.”