Corey Johnson has always been a fighter and a leader, entering public service as an activist advocating for equal rights and tenant protections.

First elected to the City Council in 2013, Johnson became Speaker in 2018. As Speaker, he led efforts to protect tenants from eviction, and fought for criminal justice reform. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Johnson was key in passing legislation to provide legal protections for tenants and small businesses, and later helped stage-manage the reopening from the citywide lockdown, including the Open Streets program.

Under his leadership as Speaker, the City Council delivered on-time balanced budgets three years in a row. While under intense pressure during the COVID-19 crisis, Johnson shepherded through a budget that preserved funding for critical City services and for communities suffering from the pandemic.

From his time serving as the leader of the City Council, Johnson is an experienced manager, overseeing a staff of nearly 900 workers, including a team of financial analysts and economists.

Johnson conducted hundreds of oversight hearings into the City’s fiscal practices. Under his watch, the City Council discovered NYCHA’s failure to provide 80% of residents heat and hot water, and in another investigation uncovered disparities in remote learning that left Black and brown students behind.

As the City’s chief financial officer, Johnson will use the Comptroller’s office to audit City agencies to ensure that services are delivered equally, with funds used properly.

Johnson believes that the recovery from the pandemic offers an opportunity to invest in communities hardest hit by the financial crisis. By using the power of his office, he will prioritize small businesses in our communities as well as invest in affordable housing and a green, resilient future.

As the person responsible for New York City’s five pension funds, Johnson will focus on cutting the billions in fees paid to Wall Street to manage our investments. Johnson believes that instead of sending exorbitant fees to hedge funds, that money would be better spent on projects to create jobs and develop economic opportunities in underserved communities.