VoterLens
New York Comptroller
University of Florida—BS Neuroscience; University of Florida—MS Molecular Genetics & Microbiology; University of Florida—MBA Finance & Entrepreneurship; Yale University—MS Chronic Disease Epidemiology and Biostatistics; University of Oxford—Master's in Global Healthcare Leadership
Data last updated 10/19/2026
Joseph Hernandez is an entrepreneur, investor, philanthropist, and biotechnology, healthcare, and advanced-technology leader running for New York State Comptroller as the Republican/Conservative candidate. His campaign biography says he is a Cuban refugee who came to the United States at age seven, founded and led more than a dozen healthcare and pharmaceutical companies, and began his career at Merck before working at Affymetrix and Digene Corp.
Committee Assignments: No committee assignments available.
Joseph Hernandez’s healthcare-related positions center on Medicaid oversight rather than coverage expansion: he argues New York’s Medicaid program is vulnerable to fraud and waste, and says the Comptroller should use audits, claims analytics, referrals, and quarterly public reporting to protect taxpayers and preserve services for eligible patients. He does not appear to have answered broader healthcare-policy questionnaires on universal coverage or public-option questions.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Hernandez said his Comptroller’s office would start fraud oversight with Medicaid areas including home care agencies, adult day care, non-emergency medical transportation, and the CDPAP fiscal intermediary transition.
SourceHernandez criticized state leaders over campaign contributions tied to Medicaid-funded adult daycare operators and argued the Comptroller should ensure Medicaid funds are spent properly before abuse occurs.
SourceHernandez said he would fight to reclaim money stolen through Medicaid fraud and stop fraud before funds leave the state, citing non-emergency medical transportation and social adult day care schemes.
SourceIn iVoterGuide’s healthcare questionnaire, Hernandez did not answer which healthcare system he supports, including options such as government-funded universal healthcare, a public option, preserving only Medicaid and Medicare, or abolishing taxpayer-funded healthcare.
SourceJoseph Hernandez's Economy & Jobs platform centers on using the New York State Comptroller's pension-investment authority to improve returns while directing competitive capital toward New York industries, job creation, infrastructure, and private-sector growth. He supports a $10 billion Empire Opportunity Fund, lower Wall Street fees, stronger pension performance, and investments in sectors such as advanced manufacturing, technology, energy, logistics, life sciences, AI, semiconductors, aerospace, and biotechnology.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Hernandez supports investment strategies based on fundamentals, risk management, and measurable returns in sectors positioned for long-term growth, including advanced manufacturing, technology, energy, logistics, and life sciences.
SourceHernandez says pension money should do more for New York's economy and has called for a $10 billion fund to attract businesses and economic growth.
SourceHernandez supports reviewing investment performance, asset allocation, outside managers, and costs, and says investment decisions should be driven by performance, risk, and long-term value rather than politics or relationships with Wall Street.
SourceHernandez told the Business Council of New York State that his Empire Opportunity Fund would seek competitive returns while helping bring businesses, jobs, and talent back to New York.
SourceJoseph Hernandez, the 2026 Republican candidate for New York State Comptroller, has publicly opposed New York sanctuary policies and supports honoring federal immigration detainers for people in custody. He has proposed using the comptroller’s audit authority to investigate agencies that release people with active federal immigration detainers.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Hernandez joined other Republican candidates and law enforcement figures at a press conference calling on New York to honor federal immigration detainers and criticizing sanctuary policies.
SourceJoseph Hernandez frames climate and energy mainly through pension-fund fiduciary duty and economic-development policy: he supports investing in energy and clean-energy opportunities when they meet performance standards, but criticizes climate- or green-energy investment mandates as political or ideological. He also opposes a data-center moratorium, arguing New York should not slow AI and technology growth.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Hernandez demanded transparency on Comptroller DiNapoli's climate-focused pension investments and argued fiduciary decisions should maximize returns rather than advance a political agenda.
SourceDuring a state comptroller debate, Hernandez criticized DiNapoli for what he called a political agenda on green energy.
SourceHernandez said he opposes Gov. Kathy Hochul's data-center moratorium, arguing that a one-year pause would slow a fast-moving technology sector.
SourceNo source-confirmed substantive Education policy position was found for Joseph Hernandez in the 2026 New York State Comptroller race. Available sources identify him as the Republican/Conservative candidate and describe his fiscal-oversight platform, while one voter-guide profile states his campaign website did not contain Education issue information as of July 28, 2026.
Joseph Hernandez, the 2026 Republican/Conservative nominee for New York State Comptroller, has no recorded legislative votes and does not currently appear to hold a state or local legislative seat. His public-safety positions emphasize more police staffing, subway and neighborhood patrols, AI-enabled emergency response and surveillance, and cooperation with federal agencies on crime and corruption.
Specific Actions & Proposals
Hernandez supports hiring 10,000 more police officers, placing officers in every subway station, and using grid-based neighborhood patrols.
SourceHernandez supports banning face coverings in subways, using AI for faster response times, and partnering with federal agencies to crack down on crime and corruption.
SourceNY1 reported that Hernandez's campaign platform included hiring 10,000 new police officers as part of his public-safety agenda.
SourceJoseph Hernandez for Comptroller
https://hernandezforny.com/Fetched: biography, education, background
Joseph Hernandez for Comptroller - Campaign Announcement
https://hernandezforny.com/joseph-hernandez-announces-campaign-for-new-york-state-comptroller/Fetched: biography, education, background
VOTE411 Voter Guide
https://onyourballot.vote411.org/candidate-detail.do?id=73188733Fetched: biography, education, background, party, office
WXXI News
https://www.wxxinews.org/local-news/2026-10-14/monroe-county-election-guide-how-and-where-to-vote-and-who-the-candidates-areFetched: age, location, background
Joseph Hernandez for Comptroller
https://hernandezforny.com/new-york-state-republican-party-nominates-joseph-hernandez-for-state-comptroller/Fetched: endorsements
Joseph Hernandez for Comptroller
https://hernandezforny.com/new-york-state-conservative-party-nominates-joseph-hernandez-for-state-comptroller/Fetched: endorsements
Joseph Hernandez for Comptroller
https://hernandezforny.com/hernandez-unveils-fraud-strike-team-as-medicaid-costs-surge-and-fraud-convictions-collapse/Fetched: issuePositions
Joseph Hernandez for Comptroller
https://hernandezforny.com/dinapoli-has-audited-new-york-for-19-years-where-was-the-alarm-on-medicaid/Fetched: issuePositions
Joseph Hernandez for Comptroller
https://hernandezforny.com/hernandez-blasts-hochul-and-dinapoli-over-55k-in-donations-tied-to-questionable-medicaid-funded-adult-daycares/Fetched: issuePositions
River Reporter
https://cdn1.creativecirclemedia.com/riverreporter/files/20260217-085954-281-08RR%202026.pdfFetched: issuePositions
Joseph Hernandez for Comptroller
https://hernandezforny.com/hernandez-unveils-10-billion-empire-opportunity-fund-to-drive-jobs-investment-and-economic-growth-across-new-york/Fetched: issuePositions
Branch
https://www.branch.vote/races/2026-new-york-general-election-ny-state-state-comptroller-ny-state/candidates/joseph-hernandez-1Fetched: issuePositions
Times Union
https://www.timesunion.com/capitol/article/thomas-dinapoli-new-york-comptroller-22474693.phpFetched: issuePositions
100PercentBronx
https://100percentbronx.blogspot.com/2026/09/hernandez-tells-business-council-10.htmlFetched: issuePositions
Rockland Post
https://rocklandpost.com/hernandez-joins-lawler-blakeman-to-stand-with-gorman-family-calls-on-new-york-to-honor-federal-immigration-detainers/Fetched: issuePositions
Joseph Hernandez for Comptroller
https://hernandezforny.com/joseph-hernandez-announces-campaign-for-new-york-state-comptroller/Fetched: issuePositions
Rockland Post
https://rocklandpost.com/hernandez-demands-transparency-of-dei-pension-investments-from-dinapoli/Fetched: issuePositions
Spectrum News NY1
https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/politics/2026/10/02/state-comptroller-dinapoli-fends-off-repeated-attacks-in-ny1-debate-joseph-hernandezFetched: issuePositions
Joseph Hernandez for Comptroller campaign website
https://hernandezforny.com/issues/Fetched: issuePositions
Branch.vote candidate profile
https://www.branch.vote/races/2026-new-york-general-election-ny-state-state-comptroller-ny-state/candidates/joseph-hernandez-1Fetched: issuePositions
VOTE411 voter guide
https://onyourballot.vote411.org/candidate-detail.do?id=73188733Fetched: issuePositions
iVoterGuide candidate profile
https://ivoterguide.com/candidate/88760/race/33837/election/1487Fetched: issuePositions
NYC Votes
https://www.nycvotes.org/whats-on-the-ballot/2025-general-election/mayor/profile/?bannerTitle=Joseph+Hernandez&boroughCode=&candidateId=3034&districtID=&electionCycle=2025&geoAreaAbbr=&officeType=1&officelevel=1&partyId=OTHFetched: issuePositions
PR Newswire
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/nyc-mayoral-candidate-joseph-hernandez-announces-smart-nyc-plan-to-make-new-york-the-safest-smartest-city-in-the-world-302526897.htmlFetched: issuePositions
Spectrum News NY1
https://spectrumnews1.com/oh/toledo/inside-city-hall/2025/08/22/joseph-hernandez-talks-about-mayoral-bidFetched: issuePositions
Queens Ledger
https://queensledger.com/2025/07/24/joseph-hernandez-launches-bid-for-mayor/Fetched: issuePositions