Malia Cohen, Herb Morgan make their cases for California State Controller ahead of November election

California State Controller Malia Cohen and Republican challenger Herb Morgan are headed for a November matchup after advancing from the June primary, with both candidates arguing their professional backgrounds make them best suited to oversee the state's finances.

The state controller is one of California's eight statewide constitutional offices. The four-year position serves as the state's chief financial officer and accountant, overseeing audits of state and local governments, managing the state's unclaimed property program and helping oversee payroll for state employees. The controller also serves on numerous boards and commissions and chairs the Franchise Tax Board.

Cohen, a Democrat, has held the office since 2023 and is the first African American to serve as California state controller.

Morgan focuses on finance experience

Morgan, a Republican, is making his private-sector finance background a central part of his campaign.

He said he has spent nearly four decades working in finance, including serving as a senior managing director and chief investment officer at a Wall Street investment firm. He also served in the public sector as a volunteer and was twice elected chair of the San Diego City Employees' Retirement System board.

"My entire background, my entire experience and skill set is rooted in finance and delivering efficiency, innovating systems," Morgan said.

If elected, Morgan said he would focus on determining whether taxpayer dollars are being spent effectively and whether state programs are producing measurable results.

He pointed to areas including health care, workforce programs, food assistance and homelessness services as examples where he believes California needs better outcomes for the money it spends.

"We're spending more. What we're really not doing is spending it wisely," Morgan said.

Morgan said his private-sector experience could help the state identify efficiencies and improve services while reducing costs.

Morgan seeks to close primary gap

Morgan faces a significant gap to close after Cohen led him in the June primary.

He said he believes November's turnout could look different, particularly as voters consider other high-profile races and ballot measures.

Morgan pointed to Proposition 39, which he said could increase turnout among voters who may support his campaign, as well as the governor's race.

He also cited his support for Proposition 13-related tax provisions as another issue he believes could draw voters to his campaign.

Morgan acknowledged that the controller is not a legislative policymaking position, saying his campaign is focused on management and financial oversight rather than major policy changes.

"We're not here for major political policy overhauls. That's the purview of the Legislature," Morgan said. "We're really here as a management team."

If elected, Morgan would become the first Republican to win a California statewide constitutional office in two decades.

Cohen touts experience, transparency

Cohen is emphasizing her experience in public finance and her record as controller.

She said the controller's office is largely insulated from partisan politics because Californians across party lines want to know how their tax dollars are being spent.

"The one thing that I have found is that both Republicans and Democrats in the state of California want to know where and how the money is being spent," Cohen said.

Cohen said she leaves policy fights over state spending to the governor and Legislature.

"That's not my role and that's not my fight," she said.

Cohen also defended her financial management experience, pointing to 16 years in elected office and her previous work overseeing budgets and serving on financial boards, including in San Francisco.

"I am a fiduciary," Cohen said. "I am making sure that spending is spent appropriately, that the money is going where it is supposed to go."

If reelected, Cohen said she wants to continue modernizing the state's financial systems, including ongoing payroll modernization efforts.

She also said her office will continue prioritizing accuracy and transparency over speed when releasing financial information.

Cohen pointed to what she described as progress during her first term and said she hopes to build on the support she received in the June primary.

"I really want to emphasize that experience," Cohen said. "I have tenacity, but more importantly, a vision."

The November election will determine who serves as California's state controller for the next four-year term.