Mark Levine will be New York City’s next comptroller.
According to the Associated Press, with nearly 90% of the expected vote counted, Levine holds 75.1% of the vote, while Republican Peter Kefalas has 22.8% and independent Ismael Malave Perez has 2.1%.
The outgoing Manhattan borough president joined “Mornings On 1” Wednesday, hours after his victory, to reflect on the campaign and outline his goals for the city’s finances.
“This was a very contentious race. It’s a divided city, but I will also say that there, I think, is enormous consensus about what voters care about,” Levine said. “There’s universal fear of an affordability crisis, which is just pushing people out.”
He added that frustration with the status quo was a driving factor in the election.
“People want change,” Levine said. “We’re not solving their problems — their affordability problems, their quality-of-life problems, and it’s incumbent on all of us who won last night to get down to work.”
Levine said he plans to take an independent approach to the comptroller’s role, serving as both a partner and a watchdog for the new administration.
“I will be a totally independent comptroller that will fight for the city,” he said. “I want the mayor to succeed. I will help the mayor succeed, but it is my obligation to also bring accountability to every single part of city government and to push back when appropriate. I will be calling balls and strikes.”
Levine said his office will “audit every agency,” emphasizing that inefficiencies across city government are harming New Yorkers.
As he prepares to work alongside Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, Levine said the two share priorities around affordability and government reform.
“We share a key priority of tackling the affordability crisis, of fixing what’s broken with government, of protecting the city from attacks from Trump,” Levine said.
Tap the video player above to watch the full interview.