Gotham Gazette

The Place for New York Policy and politics

Kevin Parker

Kevin Parker

  • Major Climate and Energy Policies Being Decided in Albany State Budget Negotiations

    Gov. Hochul talks green energy (photo: Governor's Office)


    As Governor Kathy Hochul and the Legislature continue to hammer out the details of the overdue $230 billion state budget, there are major climate and energy policies at stake that environmental advocates say are crucial to meeting New York’s climate goals.

    Already about three weeks late, the state budget has been held up over the governor’s insistence on further changes to the bail law and wrangling with the Legislature over her ambitious “Housing Compact”

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  • Slate of Insurgent Candidates Focused on Climate Seizes on Failure of State Bill

    Climate march (photo: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office)


    The Democrat-led state Legislature ended its session over the weekend without passing any additional major pieces of climate-related legislation that some legislators and activists had been pushing for months. The failure to act has provided renewed vigor to several candidates running in the primaries this year who had already been centering climate action in their campaigns, many of them challenging incumbent Democrats.

    They say that the state must take immediate and extraordinary action as the adverse effects of climate change continue

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  • Get Ready to Vote in the Democratic Primary for New York City Comptroller

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    (l-r) top: Brian Benjamin, Brad Lander, Kevin Parker, David Weprin, Corey Johnson; bottom: Reshma Patel, Zach Iscol, Michelle Caruso-Cabrera, Terri Liftin


    Democratic New Yorkers are being handed an extensive ballot for this month’s primary elections, with all of city government on the ballot and the first full implementation of ranked-choice voting. The race for New York City Comptroller, too-often neglected by the press and voters, is of great importance given the responsibilities of the job and the fact that whoever wins is all but certain to eventually run for mayor, as a

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  • Democratic Comptroller Candidates Spar at Back-to-Back Debates

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    (l-r) Brian Benjamin, Brad Lander, Corey Johnson, Michelle Caruso-Cabrera, David Weprin


    Leading Democratic candidates for New York City Comptroller, the city's chief fiscal officer, met for two debates this past week, just ahead of the Saturday start of early voting, where they laid out a range of positions and occasional attacks.

    Candidates discussed how they would use the comptroller's power to audit city agencies, provide oversight of city budgeting, manage the city's sizable pension funds, and more. They also answered questions on hot-button issues

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  • The Money Race in the Democratic Comptroller Primary with One Month To Go

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    (l-r) Top: Brian Benjamin, Brad Lander, Kevin Parker, David Weprin, Corey Johnson; Bottom: Reshma Patel, Zach Iscol, Michelle Caruso-Cabrera,Terri Liftin


    This article was updated on May 29, reflecting the Campaign Finance Board's latest public funds payment made on May 27. 

    As candidates filed their latest campaign finance disclosures on Friday, the Democratic primary for New York City Comptroller has become one of extremes. The leading campaigns have millions in the bank as they head into the closing stretch of the race while

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  • WATCH: 30 Minutes with the Candidates for New York City Comptroller

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    (l-r) top: Brian Benjamin, Brad Lander, Kevin Parker, David Weprin, Corey Johnson; bottom: Reshma Patel, Zach Iscol, Michelle Caruso-Cabrera, Terri Liftin


    The Democratic candidates for New York City Comptroller joined "Decision NYC with Ben Max" for in-depth one-on-one interviews about their campaigns and visions for

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  • Decision NYC: Kevin Parker Discusses His Run for Comptroller

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    State Senator Kevin Parker (photo: NY Senate)


    As part of the "Decision NYC with Ben Max" series of candidate interviews from Manhattan Neighborhood Network and Gotham Gazette, Democratic candidates for New York City Comptroller talked about their campaigns ahead of the June primary. In this episode, Kevin Parker joined

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  • Want an Equitable Recovery? Take Big Steps Now to Close the Digital Divide

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    Kids with computers (photo: Ed Reed/Mayoral Photography Office)


    New York City’s public schools are welcoming back many middle and high school students this month, moving away from a turbulent era of distance learning during the COVID-19 pandemic. And while our young people are learning valuable lessons in school, we have all learned a lesson during social distancing: broadband internet is a basic necessity. 

    What once seemed like a luxury for downloading music or shopping, broadband internet access is now absolutely critical for work and

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  • City Comptroller Candidates Seek to Set Themselves Apart at Brooklyn Democrats' Debate

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    (l-r) Brad Lander, Brian Benjamin, David Weprin, Kevin Parker


    Five Democratic candidates running in the primary for New York City Comptroller appeared at the first debate of the race on Sunday, trying to set themselves apart as most qualified and with the right vision to be the city’s next top fiscal officer.

    The comptroller is the watchdog of city spending, with a job that involves auditing city agencies to root out waste and mismanagement, reviewing city contracts, acting as the fiduciary to the $240 billion public pension funds, providing

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  • City Comptroller Candidates Pitch Manhattan Democratic Clubs

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    (l-r): Brad Lander, Brian Benjammin, David Weprin, and Kevin Parker)


    The four Democratic candidates running in this year’s election for New York City Comptroller appeared one-by-one at two recent online forums hosted by Manhattan Democratic clubs.

    The West Side Democrats, during a forum moderated by district leader Joan Paylo, hosted the candidates on January 12, while the Uptown Community Democrats and the Audubon Reform Democratic Club, with moderators Curtis Young, co-president of UCD, and Maria Luna, district leader of the

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  • Max & Murphy Podcast: Kevin Parker on His Run for New York City Comptroller

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    Senator Kevin Parker (photo: NY Senate)


    January 19, 2021 - Max & Murphy Podcast: Kevin Parker on His Run for New York City Comptroller

    State Senator Kevin Parker joined the show to discuss his candidacy for New York City Comptroller.

    Listen to the conversation and let us know what you think -- we're on Twitter @TweetBenMaxand @JarrettMurphy. You can listen to the show through the embedded audio below or download

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  • Democratic City Comptroller Candidates Appear at First Forum of 2021 Race

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    (l-r) Kevin Parker, Brad Lander, Brian Benjamin, David Weprin


    The four Democratic candidates running in this year’s election for New York City Comptroller appeared one-by-one Sunday afternoon at an online forum hosted by several downtown Manhattan Democratic clubs. The comptroller is the city’s chief fiscal officer, responsible for auditing city agencies, leading management of the public pension funds, analyzing the city budget, approving city contracts, and providing broad oversight of city government and other entities that impact New

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  • David Weprin Launches Campaign for New York City Comptroller

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    David Weprin (photo: Mike Wren/NYS Department of Health)


    State Assemblymember David Weprin, a five-term Queens Democrat, officially launched his 2021 campaign for New York City Comptroller on Monday. He is running to replace term-limited Comptroller Scott Stringer, and is competing with three other sitting elected officials to become the city’s next chief fiscal officer in the Democratic primary set for June.

    “I'm the only one of all the candidates that has both private and public sector finance experience, something that's going to be very needed as we're in

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  • Kevin Parker Launches Campaign for New York City Comptroller

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    State Senator Kevin Parker (photo: Parker campaign)


    State Senator Kevin Parker, a Democrat from Brooklyn, officially announced his campaign for New York City Comptroller on Wednesday evening in an interview on NY1. He joins three other Democrats who have already jumped into the race to replace Comptroller Scott Stringer, a Democrat who is term-limited next year and is running for mayor.

    In a phone interview prior to his announcement, Parker touted his long record in government, including the more than five dozen laws he has sponsored, and his background in finance as what he

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  • Brian Benjamin Launches Campaign for New York City Comptroller

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    Brian Benjamin at his campaign launch


    State Senator Brian Benjamin launched his campaign for New York City Comptroller on Thursday, officially entering the Democratic primary for the citywide position of the city’s chief fiscal officer.

    Stressing his finance background and work in the state Legislature on a variety of issues including police reform, Benjamin held a campaign event in his home neighborhood of Harlem, surrounded by supporters including several other elected officials endorsing him.

    Benjamin, who is first

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  • Senate Democrats Pursue No Formal Consequences for Parker After 'Kill yourself!' Tweet

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    Senator Parker, left, with Majority Leader Stewart-Cousins (photo: @SenatorParker)


    The newly-seated Democratic majority in the state Senate does not seem inclined to take any formal action against one of its members, Senator Kevin Parker of Brooklyn, for an inappropriate Twitter outburst last month, directed at a Republican Senate staffer, or his apparent misuse of his official parking placard.

    In tweets on December 18, GOP spokesperson Candice Giove had highlighted what seemed to be Parker’s inappropriate use of his parking placard. Parker responded with a

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