Rep. Maloney endorses CoJo

New York Rep. Carolyn Maloney endorsed Corey Johnson for city comptroller on Wednesday, adding more congressional ballast to the City Council speaker’s run for the influential financial post.

Maloney, a 75-year-old Manhattan Democrat, announced the nod outside the 72nd St. Q subway station, saying that Johnson has the “vision and the integrity to help lead this city to a brighter tomorrow.”

A late entry into the race for comptroller, Johnson has scored endorsements from Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.), Bronx Borough President Ruben Diaz Jr. and a pair of major labor backers. DC 37, the city’s largest municipal workers union, and the New York Hotel Trades Council, another power player, both supported his run.

The city’s next comptroller is set to take office as New York’s finances buckle under the weight of the pandemic. The role is tasked with authorizing public borrowing, reviewing contracts and watching over the city’s pensions.

Johnson dropped out of the mayoral race in the fall, saying he had been suffering from depression, but formally jumped into the campaign for comptroller on March 9. He said his mental health had improved.

Restaurant worker Cristian Obretin displays his CDC card after being vaccinated at a NYC Mobile Vaccine Clinic bus parked in Sunset Park, Brooklyn, on Wednesday.