Thomas P. DiNapoli, New York State’s comptroller for nearly 20 years, fended off two challengers from the left to win the Democratic primary on Tuesday, according to The Associated Press.
Given the primacy of Democrats in New York, Mr. DiNapoli’s victory means that, barring death or scandal, he is poised to become the longest serving comptroller in the state’s history.
“Our opponents tried over and over to derail our work with false attacks and reckless promises, but the people of New York once again have seen the value of steady, responsible leadership in these chaotic times,” Mr. DiNapoli said in a statement.
“Now the campaign is over,” he continued, “and we need to get back to the hard work that we do protecting taxpayers and retirees, investing in New York’s future, pushing back against Trump’s extremism and helping working families get by in Trump’s terrible economy.”
The comptroller is the primary trustee of the state’s roughly $300 billion pension fund and also has the responsibility to audit local and statewide agencies and municipalities. Mr. DiNapoli’s long tenure had been used as a cudgel by his opponents in the primary, Raj Goyle and Drew Warshaw, who, capitalizing on a moment of anti-incumbent fervor, sought to argue that Mr. DiNapoli had served well past his expiration date.
Both challengers focused on hot-button progressive issues, like the state pension fund’s investments in Israeli bonds and the company Palantir. They also talked passionately about how the comptroller could be using auditing powers more aggressively to investigate the relationships between federal immigration authorities and municipalities.
But neither Mr. Goyle, a lawyer who previously served in the Kansas State Legislature, nor Mr. Warshaw, a former New York State official and nonprofit executive, excited the progressive coalition that propelled candidates like Mayor Zohran Mamdani to success. Groups like the Working Families Party and the local chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America stayed out of the race.
At the same time, Mr. DiNapoli, who had never faced a competitive primary since taking office in 2007, received endorsements from the state’s Democratic Party, Gov. Kathy Hochul, Attorney General Letitia James and a number of large unions.
With 43 percent of votes counted, Mr. DiNapoli was leading by 43 percentage points, while Mr. Warshaw had 21 percent support and Mr. Goyle had 15 percent support.
The scant public opinion polling available during the campaign indicated that few voters knew much about Mr. DiNapoli, despite his decades-long tenure in statewide office.
Still, Mr. DiNapoli, 72, presented himself as a stable, nonpolitical figure who had been a good steward of the retirement fund.
“Unlike every other position in the state government, I haven’t had to resign,” Mr. DiNapoli told The New York Times this spring, before counting off the elected leaders in New York who departed in disgrace during his tenure. He took office only because his predecessor was forced to resign before heading to prison for corruption.
“Being scandal-free is, I think, a big accomplishment in this environment,” Mr. DiNapoli added.
Ultimately, low turnout and the lack of a competitive primary for governor hurt Mr. Goyle and Mr. Warshaw. Both struggled to break through with voters, particularly younger and more progressive ones. They had hoped that a number of competitive primaries — mostly in New York City — for seats in the State Legislature and Congress could bring out voters frustrated with incumbents like Mr. DiNapoli.
The fact that both Mr. Goyle and Mr. Warshaw decided to run may have hurt their chances of unseating Mr. DiNapoli.
Mr. Goyle and Mr. Warshaw had been friendly since they first met as young employees at the Center for American Progress in Washington, and they are neighbors in Lower Manhattan and, during the summer, on Fire Island. Their decision to run against each other confounded some of their friends and some political observers, who worried that their competing candidacies would prevent a coalition of progressive voters from forming.
Mr. DiNapoli will now face Joseph Hernandez, a businessman who will appear on the Republican and Conservative lines on the November ballot.
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