State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli wins Democratic primary, AP projects

ALBANY — State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli is projected to be the winner of his Democratic primary, fending off two challengers.

The Associated Press projected a DiNapoli victory based on results from the state Board of Elections.

With nearly three-quarters of the election districts reporting, DiNapoli led with 60% of the vote. Drew Warshaw is second with 19.5%, and Raj Goyle had 13.3% of the vote.

A local government primary in East Hampton also was contested Tuesday.

The comptroller manages the $295 billion state pension fund and serves as the state’s chief fiscal watchdog.

DiNapoli, 72, of Great Neck Plaza, ran in his first primary challenge since the State Legislature appointed him to the office in 2007 to complete former Comptroller Alan Hevesi’s term.

In a statement Tuesday evening, DiNapoli thanked his campaign staff and the unions that backed him.

“Tonight’s victory is a victory for every single working family in New York State, every public sector worker and first responder who relies on a secure pension, every student and senior who worries about the affordability crisis we’re facing,” he said. “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.

DiNapoli, a lifelong Long Islander, is seeking a fifth elected term. He will face Republican Joseph Hernandez in November.

DiNapoli is considered an establishment figure within the Democratic Party who is more cautious than the progressive wing would like. He also has deep ties to the state’s politically powerful unions.

Goyle, 51, of Manhattan, a former Kansas state legislator who has worked on a number of nonprofit campaigns in New York City, and Warshaw, 45, of Manhattan, the former executive director of a nonprofit housing firm, challenged the incumbent because they believe DiNapoli has not done enough to address the challenges New Yorkers face.

Warshaw congratulated DiNapoli on his victory and thanked his own campaign staff and volunteers.

“While disappointed, I could not be prouder of the campaign we ran, the team behind me who helped run it, and the two hundred thousand New Yorkers who chose change, who chose to do it different,” he said in a statement.

Goyle promised he would continue to fight for progressive causes despite the defeat.

“Tonight was not our night, but the fight is far from finished,” Goyle said. “We shook an office that had been turning a blind eye to New York's public investments, and we made them pay attention. I'm proud of the progressive movement we built, and we will keep fighting for working families every single day.”

Both men sought to capitalize on the way of younger, more progressive voters that carried Zohran Mamdani to victory in the 2025 New York City mayoral race.

The three men participated in one debate during the primary, a condition of receiving money from the state’s public campaign financing program.

Both challengers attacked DiNapoli for what they perceived as his inability or unwillingness to stand up to the Trump administration. DiNapoli argued he has done just that and cast his opponents as inexperienced politicians who didn’t understand the role of the office they were seeking.

All three men raised several million dollars to fund their campaign, thanks in part to public financing. This cycle is the first time statewide officials are eligible to participate in the program.

DiNapoli received $2.3 million, with Warshaw receiving just under $2 million. Goyle received $1.1 million.

In early voting, 16,480 people cast ballots in Nassau and 6,721 in Suffolk of the 276,593 votes cast statewide.

East Hampton

In the lone local government primary on Long Island, Democratic Supervisor Kathee Burke-Gonzalez defeated East Hampton Village Mayor Jerry Larsen. With no Republican on the November ballot, the race will likely determine who will lead the town next year.

Burke-Gonzalez said she is running on a record of securing major state and federal funding for coastal resilience and infrastructure, expanding affordable housing programs and growing town staff in the building and parks departments.

Larsen has framed his campaign as a referendum on the direction of local leadership, criticizing Burke-Gonzalez for delays in the building department and other issues he attributes to her mismanagement.

Newsday’s Alek Lewis contributed to this story.