“Let’s take back our state. Let’s prove that the American Dream is alive and well — right here in New York!” —Joseph Hernandez
The State Comptroller is the chief financial watchdog of New York. The office has the authority to review and approve most state contracts, audit state agencies, and ensure that every taxpayer dollar is used wisely.
As Comptroller, Joseph Hernandez will use every available tool to protect taxpayers from waste, fraud, and abuse. He will deploy artificial intelligence to identify financial irregularities and detect corruption or mismanagement before it costs the public money. Using advanced data analytics, his office will flag suspicious transactions, inflated contracts, and duplicate expenditures in real time.
Joseph will also modernize the state’s contract review process to make it more transparent and efficient. Every state contract and expenditure will be published through an online transparency portal where New Yorkers can track how their money is being spent.
He will implement performance-based reporting for every agency, ensuring that taxpayer dollars are tied to measurable results rather than political influence.
Joseph Hernandez will hold Albany accountable for irresponsible spending. Since Governor Kathy Hochul took office, the state budget has grown by more than $69 billion. Joseph will carefully audit this expansion to ensure it is responsible, balanced, and guided by conservative fiscal principles.
To reduce New York’s crushing property tax burden, Joseph will strictly enforce the State Property Tax Cap and hold school districts and local governments accountable when they exceed it. He will also improve the performance of the state’s investment portfolio to deliver higher returns that provide genuine fiscal relief to municipalities—without raising taxes on working families.
As the founder of over a dozen businesses—five of which became publicly traded—Joseph Hernandez understands how to create jobs and build lasting prosperity.
As Comptroller, he will use his experience as a successful investor to make the state pension system work for all New Yorkers. Beyond protecting the retirement security of public employees, Joseph will view the pension fund as a powerful engine for job creation and economic revitalization.
He will invest strategically in New York’s future—channeling capital into industries that can drive high-paying job growth, from artificial intelligence and biotechnology to clean energy and advanced manufacturing. Joseph will launch a dedicated AI and Technology Investment Fund within the pension system to position New York as a global leader in innovation.
By supporting the creation of factories, laboratories, and data centers across the state, Joseph will rebuild New York’s manufacturing base and generate long-term economic growth. He will prioritize responsible investments that deliver strong returns, lower management fees, and measurable benefits to retirees, taxpayers, and the economy alike.
Under his leadership, the State Comptroller’s Office will ensure that pension dollars are invested wisely, transparently, and in ways that help every region of New York compete and win in the global economy.
The Metropolitan Transportation Authority has become a symbol of government waste and mismanagement. The MTA has accumulated over $46 billion in debt—an amount larger than the budgets of 38 states—and loses close to $800 million a year from fare and toll evasion. In 2024, nearly half of all bus riders and fourteen percent of subway riders failed to pay their fares.
Meanwhile, the MTA’s new five-year capital plan, valued at $68 billion, includes projects such as Phase 2 of the Second Avenue Subway, which is projected to cost nearly $4 billion per mile—eleven times the global average. This is unacceptable.
As Comptroller, Joseph Hernandez will use his contract approval authority to stop wasteful or inflated spending and bring transparency to every MTA project. He will conduct comprehensive forensic audits of the MTA’s operations, finances, and capital projects, using AI-driven auditing systems to detect cost overruns and procurement irregularities early.
Joseph will publish public performance scorecards for the MTA, detailing its financial health, service quality, and project progress. He will ensure that fare increases and new taxes are only approved when accompanied by measurable service improvements.
Under his watch, the MTA will no longer be allowed to operate as a shadow government. It will be held accountable to the taxpayers who fund it.
Joseph Hernandez believes that New York’s financial management systems must be brought into the 21st century. As Comptroller, he will lead the most comprehensive modernization effort in the office’s history.
He will launch a Smart Fiscal Management Dashboard, integrating real-time data from every state agency to track spending, performance, and contract compliance. By implementing blockchain-based contract ledgers, Joseph will make it impossible to alter financial records without detection, creating a new era of fiscal transparency.
He will also expand the Comptroller’s role in cybersecurity and data integrity to protect taxpayer information and pension assets from digital threats. Using artificial intelligence, Joseph will automate audit processes, improving accuracy, speed, and efficiency across the state’s oversight systems.
Joseph Hernandez is committed to restoring trust in government by holding it accountable to the people it serves.
He will publish quarterly agency performance reports so New Yorkers can see whether their tax dollars are delivering results. His office will use AI-powered fraud detection and risk scoring to identify high-risk contracts and stop waste before it happens.
To further promote public engagement, Joseph will open the state’s financial data to independent analysts, journalists, and citizens. He will even create a citizen-auditor program, allowing New Yorkers to participate directly in oversight and transparency efforts.
For Joseph, transparency is not a talking point—it is a duty. Every agency, every dollar, and every contract will be visible, measurable, and accountable to the public.
