With a citywide Primary Election on the calendar for June 23, 2026, New Yorkers will be choosing more than a mayor. Three other sets of offices appear on every citywide ballot: the Comptroller, the Public Advocate, and the five Borough Presidents. These roles are often overshadowed by the mayor’s race, but each carries real statutory power under the New York City Charter. Understanding what they do — and what they don’t do — helps you vote with purpose. For information on how ranked-choice voting works in NYC primaries, see our explainer. For polling site and early voting details, visit our NYC polling site and early voting guide.
The NYC Comptroller: The City’s Chief Financial Officer
The Comptroller is New York City’s independently elected Chief Financial Officer. The office is separate from the Mayor’s office by design — the Comptroller acts as a check on the executive branch’s management of public money. The current Comptroller is Mark Levine, elected in 2021. The position is established under New York State law and the NYC Charter.
What the Comptroller Does
According to the official duties page at comptroller.nyc.gov, the Comptroller’s responsibilities fall into seven major categories:
- Auditing city agencies: The Comptroller is required to audit every city agency at least once every four years. These performance and financial audits examine operations across all agencies — from the Department of Education to the Department of Housing Preservation and Development.
- Managing public pension funds: The Comptroller serves as investment advisor and custodian to the city’s five public pension funds, which provide retirement security for more than 700,000 current and former city employees. The Comptroller is also a trustee of each fund and reviews fees paid to outside investment managers.
- Overseeing the city budget: As Chief Financial Officer, the Comptroller scrutinizes the Mayor’s budget, reviews its fiscal assumptions, and advises on potential risks to the city’s financial outlook. The office also prepares the city’s Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (ACFR).
- Reviewing city contracts: Every city contract must be reviewed by the Comptroller’s office for integrity, accountability, and fiscal compliance — ensuring the city has funds to pay its bills and that the award process was not corrupted.
- Resolving claims: The Comptroller may settle claims against or on behalf of the city before a lawsuit is filed, and holds final settlement authority at any stage of litigation where money is involved.
- Managing bond issuance: Along with the Mayor’s Office of Management and Budget, the Comptroller issues and sells bonds to fund the city’s capital program, and monitors the city’s credit rating and debt levels.
- Setting and enforcing prevailing wage: Under state law, the Comptroller sets prevailing wage and benefit rates for workers on city public works projects and building service employees on city contracts.
The Comptroller’s office employs approximately 800 people, including accountants, attorneys, economists, engineers, IT professionals, budget analysts, and investment analysts. The office is funded by the city’s operating budget and the Comptroller cannot be dismissed by the Mayor — the independence of the office is a core feature of its watchdog function.
What the Comptroller Cannot Do
The Comptroller does not run city agencies, does not set policy, and does not have veto power over legislation. The office advises and audits — it does not administer services directly to residents.
The Public Advocate: The City’s Ombudsperson
The Public Advocate is the second-highest citywide elected office in New York City. The position was created by the 1989 city charter revision and replaced the former City Council President. The Public Advocate serves as a citywide ombudsperson — an independent watchdog and advocate on behalf of residents who are struggling to navigate city government.
Under the NYC Charter, the Public Advocate is first in the line of succession to the Mayor. If the Mayor is unable to serve, the Public Advocate becomes Acting Mayor until a special election is held or the Mayor returns to duty. This makes the office constitutionally significant even when it is not in active use.
What the Public Advocate Does
The Public Advocate’s statutory duties under the NYC Charter include:
- Investigating complaints against city agencies: Residents who feel that a city agency has treated them unfairly, failed to respond to a service request, or violated their rights can bring complaints to the Public Advocate’s office. The office investigates and advocates on their behalf.
- Reviewing legislation before the City Council: The Public Advocate has the right to introduce legislation in the City Council, though not the right to vote on it. The office regularly proposes bills related to consumer protection, housing, education, and civil rights.
- Maintaining a public advocate hotline and constituent services: The office operates a complaint and constituent service line. It also publishes reports — often called “worst landlord lists,” agency performance scorecards, and policy reports — intended to hold city agencies accountable.
- Serving as a check on mayoral power: Because the Public Advocate is independently elected, the office can publicly challenge the Mayor’s policies without risking dismissal. This independence is the office’s primary institutional feature.
What the Public Advocate Cannot Do
The Public Advocate has no administrative power over city agencies and cannot compel them to act. The office cannot vote on City Council legislation and does not manage a budget beyond its own office operations. Its influence is primarily investigative and rhetorical — it operates through public pressure, reporting, and legislative proposals rather than direct executive authority.
Borough Presidents: The Five Borough Advocates
New York City has five boroughs — the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens, and Staten Island — and each elects its own Borough President to a four-year term. Borough Presidents are borough-specific rather than citywide in jurisdiction.
What Borough Presidents Do
Borough Presidents were once powerful administrative figures, but the 1989 charter revision stripped them of most direct administrative authority after a court ruling found the old Board of Estimate violated the one-person-one-vote principle. Today, their role is advisory and advocate-based, but it remains meaningful:
- Advisory role on land use: Under the Uniform Land Use Review Procedure (ULURP), Borough Presidents have a mandatory review role for major land use applications affecting their borough. They submit non-binding recommendations to the City Planning Commission and the City Council.
- Appointment power: Borough Presidents appoint members to Community Boards (the city’s local advisory bodies that review land use and neighborhood issues in each of the city’s 59 community districts). Borough Presidents also appoint members to the City Planning Commission and the Borough Board.
- Capital budget requests: Each Borough President submits capital budget requests to the Mayor and the City Council as part of the city’s annual budget process, advocating for infrastructure investments within their borough.
- Community advocacy: Borough Presidents regularly convene town halls, issue reports, and use media access to advocate for residents and highlight local needs.
What Borough Presidents Cannot Do
Borough Presidents cannot block city projects on their own — their land use recommendations are advisory. They do not manage city agencies, cannot spend city funds outside their own office budgets, and do not have a vote in the City Council.
How These Offices Appear on Your Ballot
In a citywide election year like 2026, New York City voters in a primary will see: Mayor (citywide), Public Advocate (citywide), Comptroller (citywide), Borough President (borough-specific), and City Council member (district-specific). All of these races use ranked-choice voting in the primary when there are three or more candidates — meaning you can rank up to five candidates in order of preference. In the general election in November, ranked-choice voting does not apply.
Why These Races Matter
The Comptroller manages investment of pension assets on behalf of more than 700,000 public employees and retirees. The choices made about investment strategy, corporate governance, and ESG standards have real consequences for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers’ retirement security.
The Public Advocate is the only citywide elected official whose sole job is to be a watchdog. The office’s reports on the city’s worst landlords, agency failures, housing court backlogs, and contracting abuses regularly drive real policy responses.
A Borough President who understands zoning law and community board dynamics can meaningfully shape whether a neighborhood gets a warehouse or a park, whether a rezoning produces affordable housing or luxury towers, and whether community boards are staffed with engaged residents. The appointments Borough Presidents make to the city’s 59 community boards affect how land use decisions are reviewed for four-year cycles.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who is the current NYC Comptroller?
As of April 2026, the NYC Comptroller is Mark Levine, who took office in January 2022 after winning the 2021 election. Source: comptroller.nyc.gov.
What is the difference between the Comptroller and the Public Advocate?
The Comptroller is the city’s chief financial watchdog: auditing agencies, managing pensions, overseeing contracts, and monitoring fiscal health. The Public Advocate is the city’s government ombudsperson: investigating complaints about city services, publishing accountability reports, and advocating for residents. Both are independently elected checks on mayoral power, but in different domains.
What does a Borough President actually do?
A Borough President reviews major land use applications in their borough under ULURP, appoints members to community boards and the City Planning Commission, submits capital budget requests, and advocates for borough-wide priorities. Land use recommendations are advisory, not binding.
Who becomes mayor if the mayor cannot serve?
Under the NYC Charter, the Public Advocate is first in the line of succession to the Mayor. If neither the Mayor nor the Public Advocate can serve, the Comptroller is next in succession.
When is the next NYC election for these offices?
The next citywide primary is June 23, 2026, per the NYC Board of Elections (vote.nyc/elections). The general election follows in November 2026. Use our polling site guide for location and hours as the election approaches.
Can I vote for these offices if I am not registered with a party?
In New York’s closed primary system, only voters registered with a party can vote in that party’s primary. If you are unaffiliated, you can vote in the November general election. To change your registration before June 23, check vote.nyc for current deadlines.
