NEW YORK CITY, NY — Joseph Hernandez, a Republican, is looking to unseat longtime state Comptroller, Thomas DiNapoli, a Democrat this Election Day.
Find out what he had to say to Patch in his candidate questionnaire.
How old will you be as of Election Day?: 54
Does your campaign have a website?: Yes, HernandezForNY.com
What city or town do you live in?: New York City
What office are you seeking?: New York State Comptroller
District: statewide office, no district.
Party affiliation: Republican and Conservative
Education: I'm a product of public schools. I earned a B.S. in Neuroscience, an M.S. in Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, and an MBA in Finance and Entrepreneurship from the University of Florida. I also earned an M.S. in Chronic Disease Epidemiology and Biostatistics from Yale University and a Master's in Global Healthcare Leadership from the University of Oxford.
What is your occupation?: Entrepreneur and investor. I'm the founder and senior managing partner of Blue Water Venture Partners, which invests in biotechnology and healthcare companies.
Do you have a family? If so, please tell us about them.:
I'm the proud father of three. My parents, Rafael and Dolores, brought me and my three siblings here from Cuba when I was seven. My father had been imprisoned after a five-minute trial. In America, he washed dishes, and my mother cleaned houses. Every day, my father raised and folded an American flag.
Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?: No.
Have you ever held a public office, whether appointive or elective? No. I've spent my career building companies.
Why are you seeking this office?: My family came here with nothing, and this country gave us everything. Now, New York is losing the people and businesses that built it. Taxes are among the highest in the nation, and spending keeps climbing. The comptroller's office finds waste years after the money is gone. I've spent my career building companies and managing investors' money, and I want to bring that discipline to the office that's supposed to protect every taxpayer dollar.
The single most pressing issue facing constituents is: The cost of living in New York. Families pay more in taxes every year while Albany spends more and delivers less. The comptroller is the one official with the power to audit that spending and put the brakes on it.
What needs to be done to address water quality issues on LI?:
Long Island's drinking water comes from a single aquifer, so there's no margin for error. Water suppliers and towns are spending heavily to filter out contaminants, and much of that work depends on state money. As comptroller, I'll audit state clean water dollars to make sure they reach the projects they were promised for, on time and on budget. Long Islanders shouldn't pay twice, once in state taxes and again on their water bills, because the money got stuck in Albany.
What can be done to help improve our infrastructure, highways, etc.?: New York spends enormous sums on infrastructure. The problem is what we get for it. I'll audit big state contracts before the money goes out the door, starting with the MTA. I'll also use modern data tools to flag cost overruns as they happen. Every dollar saved on a bloated contract is a dollar that can fix a road or bridge.
How would you help local business owners struggling with high rents, inflation, and labor shortages?: First, stop Albany's tax-and-spend habits that drive up costs for everyone, and protect the property tax cap. Second, my $10 billion Empire Opportunity Fund would invest a slice of the state pension fund in competitive New York companies. That brings jobs, talent, and customers back to our communities. I've started and run businesses. I know what it's like to make payroll.
How are federal issues impacting local government?: Washington has the same problem Albany does: it spends too much. When the federal government overspends and then pulls back, the bill lands on states, counties, and local taxpayers. New York can't control Washington, but it can get its own house in order. As comptroller, I'll make sure our state budget isn't built on money that might disappear. I'll also give counties an honest warning about what's coming before property taxpayers get stuck with the bill.
What is your stance on how ICE enforcement has impacted local communities?: As comptroller, I won't sign checks for illegal immigrants. Every taxpayer dollar should go to the New Yorkers it's meant for. When someone here illegally is charged with a serious crime, and ICE has issued a detainer, that person should be held, not released back into our neighborhoods.
What are the major differences between you and the other candidate?: Tom DiNapoli has been comptroller for 19 years and in politics most of his life. I'm a scientist and entrepreneur who has built and run companies. His audits are reactive and arrive years late. Medicaid costs roughly $100 billion a year, and his office reports 55 arrests and $44 million recovered. I'd create a Fraud Strike Task Force and catch improper payments before they go out. He also accepts campaign money from firms tied to the pension fund he controls. I won't. And I'll run the roughly $310 billion pension fund for returns, which is what 68 percent of New Yorkers say they want.
What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?: Fraud and abuse in Medicaid and other state programs. Oversight of state contracts, including AI and technology contracts. Protecting the property tax cap. Cutting excessive Wall Street fees on the pension fund. Investing in upstate and Long Island economies that Albany has ignored.
What accomplishments in your past show you can handle this job?: I've spent my career building companies in science and healthcare, including work that brought new cancer screening technology to patients. I've founded and led more than a dozen companies and taken several of them public. I've managed investors' money and answered to boards and shareholders my entire career. That's the job.
Is there anything else you would like voters to know?:
My family came here from Cuba with nothing and lived the American dream. I'm running so other New Yorkers can do the same.
What is the best advice anyone has ever given you and why?: Give back to the country that gave you everything. My family arrived from Cuba with nothing. America gave us a chance to build a life. I've spent my career building companies, and now I want to protect that same opportunity for every New Yorker.
Sign up for free local newsletters and alerts for the
Long Island Patch
Patch.com is the nationwide leader in hyperlocal news.
Visit Patch.com to find your town today.