Brad Lander
Democrat
New York City Comptroller (since January 2022); former New York City Council Member 2010 to 2021
Non-Incumbent · Public Record PIP Political Integrity Pledge · Political Integrity PAC
- No Corporate PAC Money
- Stock Trading Ban
- Lobbying Ban for Former Members
- Overturn Citizens United
T Transparency
87.9%
+1 from Political Integrity Pledge
Top positive drivers
- T1 Holds regular borough-wide listening sessions as Comptroller, district office hours during 11 years on Council, and ran an open-event mayoral campaign with 60+ public stops across all five boroughs. 4/4
- T4 Originated the 2025 People's Pledge against super PAC spending in the NYC mayoral race; participates in NYC Campaign Finance Board matching program; rejects corporate PAC money for the NY-10 race; supports a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United. 4/4
- T7 Multiple debates and editorial-board interviews during the 2025 mayoral primary; appearances on Pod Save America, The Bulwark, Hot Ones, NY1, Brian Lehrer; routine NYT, Daily News, Politico engagement; standing press availability as Comptroller. 4/4
View all 25 criteria
- T1 Holds regular borough-wide listening sessions as Comptroller, district office hours during 11 years on Council, and ran an open-event mayoral campaign with 60+ public stops across all five boroughs. 4/4
- T2 Files NYC Conflicts of Interest Board disclosures; released personal tax returns during the 2025 mayoral run; advocated stronger Campaign Finance Board reporting standards for city candidates. 3.13/4
- T3 Supports the congressional stock trading ban and a blind-trust requirement; led $4B NYC pension divestment from fossil fuels with explicit conflict-of-interest framing for fiduciaries. 3/4
- T4 Originated the 2025 People's Pledge against super PAC spending in the NYC mayoral race; participates in NYC Campaign Finance Board matching program; rejects corporate PAC money for the NY-10 race; supports a constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United. 4/4
- T5 Publishes donor lists; FEC and CFB filings public; small-dollar matching share quantified in CFB reports. 3.13/4
- T6 Weekly Comptroller On the Money economic briefing; explains audit findings in plain-language press conferences; 16 years of consistent vote and decision communication via Council and Comptroller channels. 3.75/4
- T7 Multiple debates and editorial-board interviews during the 2025 mayoral primary; appearances on Pod Save America, The Bulwark, Hot Ones, NY1, Brian Lehrer; routine NYT, Daily News, Politico engagement; standing press availability as Comptroller. 4/4
- T8 Publishes a named endorsement list with both organizations and individuals (UAW Region 9A, WFP-aligned, Mamdani cross-endorsement, multiple unions, electeds), with bases stated in press releases. 3.75/4
- T9 ComptrollerStat performance dashboard tracks office commitments and agency follow-through; annual audit reports score progress; published Council-era promise tracker as Progressive Caucus chair. 4/4
- T10 Comptroller Spotlight series uses plain-language explainers and household-level cost framing; multilingual outreach materials standard for the office. 3.75/4
- T11 Supports Medicare for All and federal drug price negotiation; published Comptroller analysis of NYC retiree Medicare Advantage costs that influenced city policy. 2.88/4
- T12 Co-author of NYC Mandatory Inclusionary Housing transparency provisions at Council; Comptroller Housing Brief series, landlord watchlist, and NYCHA condition audits make cost drivers visible. 4/4
- T13 Published Comptroller analysis of Con Edison rate impacts on low-income households; supports utility-bill transparency at the federal level without a fully detailed legislative package. 2.50/4
- T14 Drove Checkbook NYC 2.0 spending dashboard expansion, the Comptroller Spending Tracker, and contract-by-contract publication; routinely audits and publishes wasteful spending findings. 4/4
- T15 Endorses algorithmic accountability and AI disclosure principles; less specific on a named federal AI transparency vehicle. 2.25/4
- T16 Comptroller NYPD overtime audits and use-of-force expenditure reviews; supports the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act and a national misconduct database. 3.13/4
- T17 June 17, 2025 arrest at 26 Federal Plaza while escorting an immigrant out of immigration court forced national visibility on ICE enforcement practices; Comptroller office publishes immigrant-rights navigation guides. 3.75/4
- T18 Comptroller school overcrowding audits and per-school spending dashboards have triggered DOE responses; published charter and district financial comparisons. 3.75/4
- T19 Acknowledges tariff cost pass-through to NYC consumers in Comptroller economic briefings; no detailed federal tariff disclosure proposal yet. 2/4
- T20 Calls for conditioning Israel military aid on humanitarian benchmarks and for Pentagon waste accountability; mechanism named, specifics partial. 2.50/4
- T21 Standing press availability as Comptroller, dedicated communications team responding within news cycles, frequent on-record availability for substantive follow-up across NYC and national outlets. 4/4
- T22 Comptroller reports rely on cited IBO, BLS, ACS, and audit data; PolitiFact has rated several Lander statements as accurate; no documented pattern of repeated false claims. 3.13/4
- T23 Active district office on Council in Park Slope serving non-donor constituents; Comptroller borough constituent services and language access; mayoral campaign held events in all five boroughs and across income levels. 3.75/4
- T24 Comptroller office complies with FOIL and proactively publishes audit reports, contracts, and pension data; supports federal FOIA reform and stronger whistleblower protections. 3.50/4
- T25 Council bills passed (Fair Workweek, Freelance Isn't Free, Caregivers Discrimination), Comptroller divestment commitments delivered, and audit promises fulfilled match stated platform; the People's Pledge in 2025 was operationalized rather than rhetorical. 3.75/4
E Efficiency
91.9%
Top positive drivers
- E2 Comptroller office is a data-driven shop staffed with a chief economist and analysts who cite IBO, NYU Furman, Citizens Budget Commission, BLS, and ACS data; reports have driven enacted city policy changes. 4/4
- E4 16 years of city government service; co-founded Park Slope Civic Council programs; led Fifth Avenue Committee community development work before Council; multiple documented community service categories. 4/4
- E6 Comptroller is operational steward of the $250B+ NYC pension system, NYC budget review, and contract registration; demonstrated large-scale operational competence over four years. 4/4
View all 25 criteria
- E1 ComptrollerStat dashboard, audit recommendations with measurable benchmarks, and named performance targets in NYC contract reform are routine outputs of his office. 3.75/4
- E2 Comptroller office is a data-driven shop staffed with a chief economist and analysts who cite IBO, NYU Furman, Citizens Budget Commission, BLS, and ACS data; reports have driven enacted city policy changes. 4/4
- E3 NYC Comptroller is the primary city oversight body with statutory audit authority; produces dozens of audits per year that document agency responses and corrective actions. 3.75/4
- E4 16 years of city government service; co-founded Park Slope Civic Council programs; led Fifth Avenue Committee community development work before Council; multiple documented community service categories. 4/4
- E5 Modernized Comptroller contract data systems, advanced CityPay interfaces, and pushed Checkbook NYC 2.0 platform overhaul; named tech modernization approach. 3.13/4
- E6 Comptroller is operational steward of the $250B+ NYC pension system, NYC budget review, and contract registration; demonstrated large-scale operational competence over four years. 4/4
- E7 Cross-borough coalitions on housing and pensions; sustained collaboration with State Comptroller Tom DiNapoli; multi-stakeholder pension fund work with municipal labor and finance partners. 3.75/4
- E8 Universal Pre-K implementation oversight, Fair Workweek implementation, $4B pension divestment named pathway, MIH zoning implementation; consistently names agencies, authorities, and timelines. 4/4
- E9 Fair Workweek Law passed (recovered $84M+ in back wages), Freelance Isn't Free Act passed, Caregivers Discrimination ban enacted, Worker Cooperative Initiative funded; pension divestment $4B executed; multiple corroborated achievements. 4/4
- E10 Created NYC Worker Cooperative Business Development Initiative as a process reform; advocates federal earmark transparency and procurement reform. 3.13/4
- E11 Endorses Medicare for All; Comptroller report on NYC retiree Medicare Advantage spending influenced city plan changes. 2.88/4
- E12 NYC affordable housing record includes Mandatory Inclusionary Housing co-authorship, Community Land Trust framework, supply-side YIMBY-aligned positions, and NYCHA preservation audits with documented outcomes. 4/4
- E13 $4B NYC pension fossil-fuel divestment executed; aligned NYC pension funds with Net Zero by 2040; led Carbon Disclosure Project alignment for city investments. 4/4
- E14 June 2025 ICE arrest documentation and Comptroller advocacy on USCIS modernization; legal observer practice at immigration courts; sanctuary policy defenses with documented influence. 3.75/4
- E15 Comptroller school overcrowding and DOE busing audits have driven seat additions and contract reform; Universal 3-K and Pre-K oversight produced operational improvements. 3.75/4
- E16 NYPD overtime and discipline audits; supports community-safety alternatives and mental-health Co-Response teams as named mechanisms. 3.13/4
- E17 Fair Workweek Law for fast-food workers (enacted, $84M+ recovered), Freelance Isn't Free Act (first-in-nation freelancer wage law, enacted), Worker Cooperative initiative; supports the federal PRO Act. 4/4
- E18 Comptroller efficiency audits flagged tens of millions in unjustified contract costs (NYPD overtime, shelter contracts, ThriveNYC) with documented procurement reform follow-through. 3.75/4
- E19 Capital projects oversight, Gateway Tunnel advocacy, congestion pricing implementation backing, and named NYC permitting reforms. 3.13/4
- E20 Calls for conditioning Israel military aid on humanitarian benchmarks; supports rejoining the JCPOA; Pentagon waste critique; mechanism named, full specifics partial. 2.50/4
- E21 Comptroller office documented reduction in contract approval and audit publication times; named processing-time targets in office reform plans. 3.75/4
- E22 Supports federal millionaires tax mechanisms and corporate tax increases as pay-fors; Comptroller fiscal reports distinguish recurring versus one-shot revenues honestly. 3.13/4
- E23 Comptroller reports cite GAO, IBO, and CBO findings to ground recommendations; audit findings drive documented agency responses. 3.75/4
- E24 Replaced manual contract-tracking with Checkbook NYC 2.0; pushed reforms to ThriveNYC and shelter contracting after audits flagged failures. 3.75/4
- E25 Comptroller is the citywide agency oversight body; produces roughly 65 audits per year with documented agency responses and corrective actions. 4/4
A Affordability
95.4%
+0.5 from Political Integrity Pledge
Top positive drivers
- A2 Sixteen years of constituent town halls and listening sessions on cost-of-living; Comptroller borough sessions; mayoral campaign held 60+ affordability-focused public events across all five boroughs. 4/4
- A3 Comptroller On the Money weekly econ briefing cites IBO, BLS, ACS, and Furman Center NYC-specific data; quantifiable local data work is the office standard product. 4/4
- A8 Audits of NYPD overtime, DOE busing, ThriveNYC, Adams shelter contracts, and Medicare Advantage rip-off identified specific waste with documented enforcement and contract changes following. 4/4
View all 25 criteria
- A1 NYC Conflicts of Interest Board financial disclosure plus 2025 tax-return release; affordability conflicts (real estate, finance) flagged in disclosures. 3.75/4
- A2 Sixteen years of constituent town halls and listening sessions on cost-of-living; Comptroller borough sessions; mayoral campaign held 60+ affordability-focused public events across all five boroughs. 4/4
- A3 Comptroller On the Money weekly econ briefing cites IBO, BLS, ACS, and Furman Center NYC-specific data; quantifiable local data work is the office standard product. 4/4
- A4 Comptroller staff of roughly 700 includes a dedicated economic team and constituent-services unit; Council district office documented casework outcomes. 3.75/4
- A5 Worker Cooperative Initiative reaches small businesses and worker-owners; Fair Workweek covers fast-food and retail workers; freelancer protections reach gig workers; documented small-business and worker accessibility. 3.75/4
- A6 Annual Comptroller State of the City Economy reports communicate trade-offs honestly; pension fund return reporting candid about underperformance and risk. 3.75/4
- A7 Comptroller publishes fiscal impact statements on city legislation and pre-pension-allocation cost-benefit memos; routine quantified analysis of own proposals. 3.75/4
- A8 Audits of NYPD overtime, DOE busing, ThriveNYC, Adams shelter contracts, and Medicare Advantage rip-off identified specific waste with documented enforcement and contract changes following. 4/4
- A9 Cross-stakeholder work with State Comptroller DiNapoli, Citizens Budget Commission, and labor on pension and budget issues; not heavily bipartisan in a partisan sense, but cross-ideological on fiscal questions. 3.13/4
- A10 Discloses Comptroller chief economist and senior advisors; staff credentials and external advisor list publicly available; transparent expertise base. 4/4
- A11 Supports Medicare for All and federal drug price negotiation; Comptroller report on Medicare Advantage rip-off shifted NYC retiree healthcare debate. 3.75/4
- A12 Mandatory Inclusionary Housing co-authorship at Council, Community Land Trust framework, NYCHA preservation audits, supply-side City of Yes support, and ANHD partnership; tens of thousands of affordable units enabled or preserved. 4/4
- A13 Universal Pre-K and 3-K oversight; CUNY funding advocacy; childcare expansion at Council; documented education affordability outcomes. 3.75/4
- A14 Backed New York millionaires-tax efforts, corporate tax increases, and federal estate tax fixes; named mechanisms with quantified revenue impact. 4/4
- A15 Predatory lender watchlist, junk-fee critiques, rent stabilization advocacy, and Comptroller consumer protection audits with documented enforcement follow-through. 3.75/4
- A16 Fair Workweek Law (recovered $84M+ in back wages), Freelance Isn't Free Act, $15 NYC minimum wage advocacy, and federal PRO Act endorsement; enacted Council bills delivered. 4/4
- A17 Defends SNAP and school meals; Comptroller audit on NYC food insecurity informed city food access policy. 3.13/4
- A18 Con Edison rate critiques and NYCHA weatherization expansion via Comptroller audits and Council oversight; named mechanisms. 3.13/4
- A19 Long-running transit affordability advocate: Gateway Tunnel funding, Bus Rapid Transit expansion, congestion pricing implementation, CitiBike expansion, and reduced-fare program defense. 3.75/4
- A20 Cross-cutting affordability platform spans housing supply, transit, childcare, M4A, wages, and tax fairness, carried from 16 years of NYC work into the NY-10 race; integrated framework with delivered city-level wins. 4/4
- A21 Cites NYC-specific cost data weekly in Comptroller briefings; Comptroller publishes local cost-of-living indices; deeply local affordability knowledge. 4/4
- A22 NYC focus limits direct rural credit; supports SNAP and Medicaid universally and broader rural anti-poverty programs without a dedicated rural framework. 2.50/4
- A23 Racial-equity analyses in housing, pension, and lending audits; minority- and women-owned business set-aside enforcement; Council rezoning equity reviews; documented enforcement outcomes. 4/4
- A24 Universal programs (Pre-K, Fair Workweek, freelancer protections, MIH housing) reach the broadest populations rather than narrow subsets; documented breadth of benefit. 4/4
- A25 Affordability-aligned endorsements include UAW Region 9A and WFP-aligned coalition; ANHD housing coalition partnership; Citizens Action; cross-endorsement with Mamdani in 2025 mayoral RCV reflects affordability coalition strength. 4/4
Scored from publicly available information. Research in progress.
Published Platform
- Housing — Federal supply-side housing investment, expand LIHTC and HOME, defend Section 8, build on NYC Mandatory Inclusionary Housing and Community Land Trust frameworks, NYCHA preservation funding.
- Workers and Wages — Federal PRO Act, Fair Workweek standard nationwide, freelancer wage protections modeled on NYC Freelance Isn't Free Act, raise the federal minimum wage.
- Healthcare — Medicare for All, federal drug price negotiation expansion, end Medicare Advantage overpayments.
- Climate — Federal pension and Treasury divestment from fossil fuels, Net Zero by 2040 alignment, expand Inflation Reduction Act household energy programs.
- Immigration — End ICE courthouse arrests, defend sanctuary policies, modernize USCIS processing, pathway to citizenship; June 2025 ICE arrest at 26 Federal Plaza.
- Transit — Fully fund Gateway Tunnel, expand Bus Rapid Transit, defend congestion pricing, federal transit operating support.
- Campaign Finance — No corporate PAC money, People's Pledge against super PAC spending, constitutional amendment to overturn Citizens United, expand small-dollar matching.
- Foreign Policy — Condition Israel military aid on humanitarian benchmarks, two-state framework, rejoin JCPOA, Pentagon waste accountability.
- Government Accountability — Stronger congressional stock trading ban, expanded financial disclosure, Comptroller-style spending dashboards at the federal level.
Non-Incumbent · Public Record
Scored on publicly available information only — platform statements, prior office, news coverage. Same criteria as the Questionnaire pathway, without direct candidate input.
Scoring Summary
| Axis | Base | Pledge Bonus | Final |
|---|---|---|---|
| Transparency | 87.9% | +1 | 88.9% |
| Efficiency | 91.9% | — | 91.9% |
| Affordability | 95.4% | +0.5 | 95.9% |
| Overall TEA | Average of the three axes | 91.7% | |
Financial Breakdown
Financial detail — individual giving, PAC contributions, transfers, and personal finances — will appear here when FEC data ingestion ships. This tab is reserved so the layout stays consistent when the feature launches.