Draft:Drew Warshaw

Warshaw graduated from Cornell University, where he co-founded the student organization Democracy Matters, which advocated for campaign finance reform.^[3] He later earned a Master of Business Administration from Columbia University.^{[citation needed]}

Warshaw was awarded the 1964 John F. Kennedy Memorial Award in 2003 for student leaders entering public service.^[4]

Warshaw began his career in politics working on Eliot Spitzer’s 2006 gubernatorial campaign and later served in the administration as a deputy chief of staff ^[5].

Following Spitzer’s resignation in 2008, Warshaw joined the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, where he served as chief of staff to the executive director. In that role, he was of the World Trade Center (2001-present) site following the September 11 attacks.^[6] Warshaw helped coordinate one of the most complex public infrastructure projects in the United States, working across multiple government agencies, private developers, and stakeholders involved in the rebuilding of Lower Manhattan. He was recognized by Crain's New York Business 40 under 40 in 2011 for his work on the project.^[7]

As part of the redevelopment effort, he contributed to advance construction timelines and resolve logistical challenges at the site, including work related to the National September 11 Memorial and associated transit infrastructure.^[8]

In 2025, Warshaw stood for New York State Comptroller, positioning himself as a reform-oriented challenger focused on affordability and government accountability. His campaign has emphasized using the state’s pension fund valued around $300 billion to address the housing crisis, including a proposal to invest approximately $20 billion in affordable housing initiatives.^[10] Warshaw has also criticized incumbent comptroller Tom DiNapoli’s management of the pension fund, particularly the use of external Wall Street investment managers and associated fees. Warshaw also promised to divest the pension fund from Israel bonds^[11] and Palantir.

Warshaw has framed the comptroller’s office as for addressing economic inequality.

His platform focuses on ^[12]

• Expanding investment in affordable housing
• Reducing reliance on private asset managers^[13]
• Increasing transparency and oversight of public funds

He has argued that the office should play a more active role in addressing New York’s cost-of-living crisis, receiving multiple progressive endorsements including Make the Road Action, Broadway Democrats, Caring Majority Rising, Abundance NY, and more.^[14]