What Does the State Controller Do?
The state controller acts as an independent financial watchdog over California's finances. The controller pays the state's bills and has the power to audit state agencies. The controller also helps administer the state's pension funds and sits on more than 70 state boards and commissions.
Democratic Candidate Malia Cohen
Democrat Malia Cohen got her start in public office as a member of the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, where she served for eight years representing Bayview-Hunters Point, Potrero Hill and other neighborhoods on the city's east side. She currently chairs the State Board of Equalization, an obscure but powerful office that deals with issues related to property taxes and other financial matters.
Republican Candidate Lanhee Chen
Republican Lanhee Chen is a public policy analyst and fellow at Stanford's Hoover Institution. This is his first run for office, but in the past he's advised several presidential candidates, including Mitt Romney and Marco Rubio. He also served in the Obama administration on the bipartisan Social Security Advisory Board. Chen is hoping to do something no Republican has done since 2006: win a statewide election in California.