State Senator Kevin Parker Announces His Candidacy for New York City Comptroller

(New York, NY) – State Senator Kevin Parker today announced his candidacy for Comptroller of the City of New York on Spectrum’s NY1. A government policy expert who has served in the New York State Legislature for almost two decades, Sen. Parker will draw upon his education and practical experience to serve as the Certified Watch Dog for New Yorkers.

Sen. Parker currently serves as Senate Majority Whip, the fifth-ranking position in Senate Democratic leadership. In the State Senate, he has been a fierce champion of economic development, education, clean energy, domestic violence issues, and civil rights. Sen. Parker is a prolific legislator, having passed over five dozen bills, including ones related to state contracting, citing of bank branches, stock transfers, the State Comptroller’s accounts, public employee wage disparities, transferring of mortgages, and M/WBEs.

The Comptroller’s duties include serving as a fiscal watchdog for the city, overseeing municipal workers’ pension funds, and reviewing city contracts. Sen. Parker is eminently qualified for the job: his extensive experience in finance includes working in the Chairman’s office of UBS PaineWebber, where he focused on municipal finance, serving as a Project Manager for the New York State Urban Development Corporation, and serving as Special Assistant for New York State Comptroller H. Carl McCall.

Sen. Parker also has an extensive education in government, holding a Bachelor of Science Degree in Public Service from Penn State University, with a minor in Business, and a Master of Science Degree in Urban Policy and Management from the New School. He is a PhD candidate in Political Science at the CUNY Graduate Center, and has been a professor of African-American Studies and Political Science at several CUNY and SUNY institutions.

“I am running for New York City Comptroller because, as we emerge from this pandemic and economic depression, I want to utilize the powers of the Comptroller’s office to ensure our city has an inclusive recovery. As we enter a new era of national healing, there must be economic opportunities for all New Yorkers, so that we emerge stronger than ever before.”