N.Y. State Assembly Member Jenifer Rajkumar Drops NYC Comptroller Bid to Run for Public Advocate
- The 41-year-old Indian American, a close ally of Mayor Eric Adams, is challenging incumbent Jumaane Williams.
New York State Assembly Member Jenifer Rajkumar has officially announced her candidacy for New York City Public Advocate, dropping out of a previous bid for the city’s comptroller. Rajkumar, 41, a close ally of Mayor Eric Adams is challenging incumbent Jumaane Williams. She announced the run for public advocate on Jan. 27, just a little over five months since she officially announced a run for comptroller.
The first South Asian woman elected to state office in New York, Rajkumar has represented a south Queens district in Albany’s lower chamber since 2021. A centrist Democrat, Rajkumar, who is known as the “lady in red,” for frequently wearing that color dress, has often been spotted with Adams at various events and press conferences he hosts, no matter how far from or unrelated the affair is to her district.
Rajkumar said she came to the decision of switching the race after “engaging with thousands of residents across all five boroughs.” New York City is “facing a crisis of governance and can no longer afford the out-of-touch agenda of extremists like Jumaane Williams,” she said in a statement. “Instead, we need proven fighters who will focus on the issues that all New Yorkers care about. From attacking the cost-of-living crisis to restoring public safety on our streets and on our subways, I’m excited to bring bold, results-driven leadership to our city.”
Speaking to Spectrum News Rajkumar said she “was drawn to the position of public
advocate,” as it is “largely what the office holder makes of it.” It is “a broader platform that will allow me to use my passions and skills and all the tools I have for the people in New York,” she said.
Local experts told Queens Daily Eagle that the position of a public advocate is “more likely to fit Rajkumar’s political bona fides as a civil rights lawyer and local elected.” But they also feel that “she needs to get back into the public eye and stand on her own to regain momentum and support from her base.”
According to the Queens Daily Eagle “the move signals a major shift for Rajkumar, who struggled to gain traction in the race for the city’s money manager in a crowded field and grappled with lesser campaign funding as Adams became increasingly unpopular.”
But the QNS noted Rajkumar is “entering the [comptroller’s] race with significant momentum,” and has “more than four times the cash compared to incumbent Williams.” She is “expected to qualify for over $1 million in public matching funds,” the publication said.
Rajkumar told Spectrum News that she’s worried about the state of affairs in the city.“There’s been nightmarish crimes on our subways, a mental health crisis that is spiraling out of control, and I’m here to bring fresh energy and leadership to our city,” she said.
In 2023, Rajkumar led a successful effort to make Diwali a state school holiday and to establish New York’s Asian American and Pacific Islander Commission. She also sponsored a measure incorporating domestic workers — overwhelmingly immigrants of color – into the state’s human rights law.