# Malia M. Cohen *candidate · Controller · Democratic* — November 3, 2026 General Election (2026-11-03), Los Angeles County, California Research pack generated 2026-10-30T23:52:30+00:00 by ballotscope. Summaries are LLM-generated from the linked originals and may contain errors; check the originals before relying on anything. Sources span 2021-05-19 to 2026-10-03. ## Overview (as of 2026-10-29, from 23 sources) Malia Cohen, a Democrat, has been Controller since 2023 and is seeking a second term against Republican Herb Morgan [California Voter Guide 2026: Controller; 2026 general election voter guide: California State Controller]. She is running on her record: wider public access to financial and payroll data, monthly cash reports, unclaimed property returned to all 58 counties, and payroll modernization [Controller Candidate Statements (Official Voter Information Guide); Official Voter Information Guide: Statewide Candidate Statements (PDF)]. Her signature administrative issue is the state's chronically late annual financial report. It was six years late running as of 2024, when she pledged to be on time by March 2026 [California's annual financial report is chronically late]. CalMatters says she cleared the backlog by issuing four reports in two years [CA election 2026: controller race]. The FY2024-25 report came out May 12, 2026, 42 days past deadline and with the first clean audit opinion since 2019 [California gets a clean audit, now comes the hard part]. CalMatters also reports she did not carry out her 2022 pledges to scrutinize homelessness spending, EDD and DMV, saying the state auditor had already covered them [CA election 2026: controller race]. Morgan argues she lacks financial experience and has not used the office's audit and payment-review powers [Herb W. Morgan releases Radical Transparency white paper; Herb Morgan calls for resignation or legislative review after undercover video on audit capacity; California High-Speed Rail: A Textbook Case of Fiscal Failure Under Controller Malia Cohen (op-ed by Herb Morgan)]. Endorsers include the California Democratic Party, the California Labor Federation, Gov. Newsom and many unions [Endorsements; California Voter Guide 2026: Controller]. GrowSF also backs her [GrowSF voter guide November 2026: Controller]. ### Record highlights - 2023: chaired a court-created task force on charter-school audits after the roughly $400 million A3 Education fraud [S8]. [State Controller Malia Cohen to chair state task force on charter school audits] - Sept. 2024: released the task force's recommendations to tighten K-12 audit rules [S10]. [California controller releases recommendations to prevent charter school fraud] - 2024: the annual financial report was late for a sixth straight year. Her office blamed tax-filing extensions and the FI$Cal transition and pledged timely reports by March 2026 [S9]. [California's annual financial report is chronically late] - May 12, 2026: released the FY2024-25 report 42 days late, the shortest delay in years, with a clean audit opinion [S17]. CalMatters credits her with clearing the backlog [S16]. [CA election 2026: controller race; California gets a clean audit, now comes the hard part] - Jan. 2026: backed the Governor's plan to rebuild reserves and limit borrowing, citing spending running above estimates [S11]. [Controller Malia M. Cohen Statement on Governor Newsom's Proposed January Budget] - Did not carry out 2022 pledges to audit homelessness programs, EDD and DMV, and focused instead on FI$Cal and payroll modernization [S16]. [CA election 2026: controller race] - Says she approved $804 million in bond authority for student housing and that 46 counties were recognized for financial reporting in 2025 [S13]. [GrowSF June 2026 candidate questionnaire: Malia Cohen] ### Stated positions - Top priority is accountability and transparency in state spending, through modernized audits and public dashboards [S13]. [GrowSF June 2026 candidate questionnaire: Malia Cohen] - Preserve education, health care, climate and infrastructure commitments, and improve oversight of homelessness and behavioral-health spending [S13]. [GrowSF June 2026 candidate questionnaire: Malia Cohen] - Increase unclaimed-property claims through outreach and simpler claims. She sets no numeric target [S13]. [GrowSF June 2026 candidate questionnaire: Malia Cohen] - Publish a long-term fiscal outlook dashboard covering reserves, debt and revenue volatility [S13]. [GrowSF June 2026 candidate questionnaire: Malia Cohen] - 'Budgets are moral documents' that should 'invest in people, not special interests' [S1, S21]. [Controller Candidate Statements (Official Voter Information Guide); Official Voter Information Guide: Statewide Candidate Statements (PDF)] - In 2022 she favored a collaborative oversight style over 'gotcha' audits [S5]. [What would Malia Cohen do as California controller?] ### Where sources disagree - How late reports were under Cohen: Morgan lists 20-, 17- and 15-month lags and calls them a pattern of incompetence [S12]. Joffe says delays began under Betty Yee and that Cohen oversaw marked improvement [S17]. CalMatters says she cleared the backlog [S16]. [Herb W. Morgan releases Radical Transparency white paper; CA election 2026: controller race; California gets a clean audit, now comes the hard part] ### Gaps - No debate or forum transcript, and no recent unscripted interview; the only interview is from 2022 [S5, S7]. - No audit reports or official audit findings from her office were retrievable. A State Controller audit-list page failed to fetch. - No independent coverage or response from her office on the April 2026 undercover video. - Criticism comes mainly from her opponent; no newspaper editorial for or against her was found. - Campaign issue pages list headings only [S2]. ### Arguments for / praise - Brought public-finance experience from SF budget and audit committees, SFERS, and the CalPERS/CalSTRS boards, and led the charter-fraud audit fixes. — *GrowSF* [GrowSF voter guide November 2026: Controller] - Oversaw a marked improvement in delivery of the annual financial report and a return to a clean audit opinion. — *Marc Joffe (California Globe), CalMatters* [CA election 2026: controller race; California gets a clean audit, now comes the hard part] - Has brought transparency and accountability to state spending, including public pay data for over 2 million workers. — *GrowSF* [GrowSF voter guide November 2026: Controller] ### Arguments against / criticism - Lacks the financial experience and skill the job needs, and has treated the role as 'ceremonial.' — *Herb Morgan* [Herb W. Morgan releases Radical Transparency white paper; California High-Speed Rail: A Textbook Case of Fiscal Failure Under Controller Malia Cohen (op-ed by Herb Morgan)] - Reporting stayed late for years under her, part of a State Auditor high-risk issue since 2020. — *Herb Morgan* [Herb W. Morgan releases Radical Transparency white paper] - Did not use the Controller's pre-payment review power to demand safeguards before high-speed rail payments. — *Herb Morgan* [California High-Speed Rail: A Textbook Case of Fiscal Failure Under Controller Malia Cohen (op-ed by Herb Morgan)] - An undercover video of her press secretary discussing audits not being completed warrants her resignation or a legislative review. — *Herb Morgan* [Herb Morgan calls for resignation or legislative review after undercover video on audit capacity] - Did not deliver her 2022 audit pledges on homelessness, EDD and DMV. — *CalMatters (reporting)* [CA election 2026: controller race] - Seemed a questionable pick given her lack of relevant experience, even though she deserves credit for improvement. — *Marc Joffe (California Globe)* [California gets a clean audit, now comes the hard part] ## Analysis of their own words (as of 2026-10-29) Coverage: Read 7 samples labelled as Cohen's own words: a GrowSF candidate questionnaire (S2, written answers, April 2026), an official State Controller's Office press statement on the Governor's January budget (S3, January 2026), a CalMatters article built on an 80-minute interview (S4, May 2022; Cohen's words appear only as quotations CalMatters selected), her campaign homepage (S6, undated) and issues page (S5, undated; headings only, no substantive text), and her Secretary of State voter-guide statement in both web (S7) and printed-guide PDF (S1) form, which are identical (only her portion of those shared pages was used). Prepared text dominates. The only unscripted speech is the 2022 interview, reported second-hand and from before she took office. There are no debate transcripts, no recent interview transcript, no op-eds she wrote, and no audit reports or other official documents she authored. S1/S7 and part of S2 share near-identical text. On fiscal management her expressed views are cautious and stewardship-oriented: she backs rebuilding reserves, limiting borrowing and avoiding ongoing commitments that cannot be sustained (S3). She also frames budgets in social-values terms ('budgets are moral documents'), puts preserving education, health care, climate and infrastructure commitments among her priorities, and stresses equity and inclusion in contracting (S2, S7). Her 2022 interview put equity and diverse leadership at the center of how she sees the office (S4), and her campaign site lists Democratic-aligned priorities including reproductive access and climate (S6). On those social-spending and equity issues the evidence supports calling her progressive. On fiscal restraint her statements are moderate-to-cautious. She describes herself as a 'lifelong Democrat' (S2). Articulation: **adequate**. Prepared texts (S2, S3, S7) are clear, well organized and on-topic. The budget statement (S3) makes a coherent argument tied to a specific data point (her December cash report showing receipts and expenditures both above estimates). Specificity is uneven. Asked for measurable outcomes, she gives descriptions of activity rather than metrics ('we increased transparency by expanding public access to financial and payroll data'). Asked for a prior example of improving oversight, she answers generally ('Throughout my career, including my service on the California State Board of Equalization, I have worked to strengthen oversight') without naming a case. Her unclaimed-property goal has no target number. Where she does give figures, such as $804 million in bond authority, 46 counties recognized, and more than $2.3 million reunited with counties, she gives them without context such as totals or baselines. In the reported 2022 interview (S4), her unscripted remarks are expressive and values-driven but sometimes loosely structured (the COVID vaccination passage), and CalMatters reports she declined positions on several pending issues, saying she needed more information on one. No recent unscripted sample exists to judge her current extemporaneous command of facts. Consistency: **adequate**. Across 2022-2026 she consistently emphasizes transparency, accountability, fiscal health, equity, and a cooperative style with agencies (S2, S4). Her 2026 materials repeat the same core paragraph almost word for word (S2, S7), which shows message discipline but adds little independent evidence. One change in emphasis appears (see shifts): in 2022 she argued for an expansive view of the Controller's policy role, while in 2026 she stresses the office's limits. With only one pre-office sample, and it reported second-hand, consistency over time can be judged only roughly. - Transparency and accountability in state spending: Calls this her top priority, through modernized audits, public financial reporting and dashboards. - "My number one goal is strengthening accountability and transparency in state spending, because public trust is foundational to everything else we hope to accomplish." [GrowSF June 2026 candidate questionnaire: Malia Cohen] (2026-04-07) - "I would continue expanding public dashboards for payroll, expenditures, and local financial reporting while measuring success through reporting compliance rates, public usage data, reduced filing errors, and faster publication timelines." [GrowSF June 2026 candidate questionnaire: Malia Cohen] (2026-04-07) - Budget restraint and reserves: Supports the Governor's January 2026 plan to rebuild reserves and limit borrowing, and warns against unsustainable ongoing commitments. - "I support the Governor’s plan to preserve and rebuild reserves, keep borrowing in check, and maintain flexibility in the budget so that spending remains prudently aligned with revenues." [Controller Malia M. Cohen Statement on Governor Newsom's Proposed January Budget] (2026-01-09) - "That pattern reinforces the need for restraint to avoid locking in ongoing commitments that cannot be sustained over the long term." [Controller Malia M. Cohen Statement on Governor Newsom's Proposed January Budget] (2026-01-09) - Unclaimed property: Wants to increase claim participation through outreach, partnerships and better search tools. She gives no numeric target. - "My goal is to significantly increase claim participation by expanding direct outreach and simplifying the claims process." [GrowSF June 2026 candidate questionnaire: Malia Cohen] (2026-04-07) - Long-term fiscal reporting: Proposes an expanded long-term fiscal outlook dashboard alongside the monthly cash reports. - "I would continue strengthening monthly cash reporting and publish an expanded long-term fiscal outlook dashboard tracking reserve levels, debt obligations, revenue volatility, and major spending trends." [GrowSF June 2026 candidate questionnaire: Malia Cohen] (2026-04-07) - Modernization of state systems: Names the California State Payroll System replacement as a major priority, and standardized digital reporting as the key reform for local financial reports. - "One major priority is advancing the California State Payroll System project, which will replace outdated infrastructure with a more reliable and efficient payroll platform." [GrowSF June 2026 candidate questionnaire: Malia Cohen] (2026-04-07) - "The single most important reform is modernizing and standardizing digital reporting infrastructure statewide." [GrowSF June 2026 candidate questionnaire: Malia Cohen] (2026-04-07) - Homelessness and behavioral health spending: Lists improved oversight of this spending as a 2026 priority. In 2022 she pledged to scrutinize homelessness programs, EDD and DMV, as reported by CalMatters. - "Improve oversight of homelessness and behavioral health spending to ensure funds are producing measurable outcomes and being coordinated effectively across agencies." [GrowSF June 2026 candidate questionnaire: Malia Cohen] (2026-04-07) - Pensions: In 2022 she weighed retirees' expectations against the state's fiscal sustainability without proposing a specific policy. - "State employees that have worked really hard, teachers that have worked really hard, I do believe that they should be able to retire and to count on their retirement" [What would Malia Cohen do as California controller?] (2022-05-02) - "I am concerned about the fiscal health for the state of California, just the economic direction that we’re going to be going in" [What would Malia Cohen do as California controller?] (2022-05-02) - Housing: Names housing affordability as the issue she would address outside the office's limits, and cites bond authority she approved for student housing. - "I recently approved $804 million in bond authority for affordable student housing" [GrowSF June 2026 candidate questionnaire: Malia Cohen] (2026-04-07) Limitations: The sample is small and mostly scripted campaign or official text. The one interview is from 2022 and comes through CalMatters' selection of quotes. Two of the seven samples (the issues page and homepage) carry almost no substantive text. No audit reports, letters, or debate or forum transcripts from her time as Controller were available, so this analysis cannot show how she reasons under questioning or how her words compare with her office's actions. The opponent's file contains more samples (15), so differences in depth between the two analyses partly reflect available material. ## Timeline (newest first) - **2026-10-03** — Published: 2026 general election voter guide: California State Controller (LAist) - **2026-09-29** — Published: California Voter Guide 2026: Controller (CalMatters) - **2026-09-28** — Published: Official Voter Information Guide: Statewide Candidate Statements (PDF) (California Secretary of State) - **2026-09-24** — Published: GrowSF voter guide November 2026: Controller (GrowSF) - **2026-09-24** — GrowSF guide last updated with Cohen endorsement (GrowSF) - **2026-07-28** — Published: California Voter Guide 2026 (CalMatters) - **2026-05-21** — Published: California gets a clean audit, now comes the hard part (California Globe) - **2026-05-21** — Published: California High-Speed Rail: A Textbook Case of Fiscal Failure Under Controller Malia Cohen (op-ed by Herb Morgan) (California Globe) - **2026-05-21** — Morgan op-ed criticizing Cohen's high-speed rail oversight published (California Globe) - **2026-05-12** — Cohen released the FY2024-25 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report (California Globe) - **2026-05-08** — Published: CA election 2026: controller race (CalMatters) - **2026-05-04** — Published: 2026 primary election: California controller race explainer (KPBS) - **2026-04-08** — Published: Herb Morgan calls for resignation or legislative review after undercover video on audit capacity (Herb Morgan for Controller) - **2026-04-08** — Morgan called for Cohen's resignation or a legislative review (Herb Morgan for Controller) - **2026-04-07** — Published: GrowSF June 2026 candidate questionnaire: Malia Cohen (GrowSF) - **2026-04-07** — Cohen's GrowSF questionnaire responses due (GrowSF) - **2026-03-19** — Published: Herb W. Morgan releases Radical Transparency white paper (Herb Morgan for Controller) - **2026-03-19** — Morgan released white paper criticizing Cohen's reporting record (Herb Morgan for Controller) - **2026-01-09** — Published: Controller Malia M. Cohen Statement on Governor Newsom's Proposed January Budget (California State Controller's Office) - **2026-01-09** — Cohen issued statement on Governor's proposed 2026-27 budget (California State Controller's Office) - **2026-01-08** — Cohen released the December Cash Report (California State Controller's Office) - **2025** — Published: State Controller's Office 2025 audit reports (county offices of education) (California State Controller's Office) - **2024-09-26** — Published: California controller releases recommendations to prevent charter school fraud (The Bond Buyer) - **2024-09-25** — Cohen released task force recommendations (The Bond Buyer) - **2024-07-10** — Published: California's annual financial report is chronically late (CalMatters) - **2024-04** — Truth in Accounting ranked California 48th in financial transparency (CalMatters) - **2024-03** — FY2021-22 ACFR published, with Cohen's pledge to be on time by March 2026 (CalMatters) - **2024** — State auditor reported California fails to adequately track homelessness spending (CalMatters) - **2023-12-05** — Published: State Controller Malia Cohen to chair state task force on charter school audits (Windy City Word) - **2023-09** — Court order created the charter school audit task force (The Bond Buyer) - **2023** — Cohen announced she would chair the charter school audit task force (Windy City Word) - **2022-07-21** — Published: Malia Cohen on Her Early Meeting With DiFi and Her Run for State Controller (KQED) - **2022-07-21** — Cohen interviewed on KQED Political Breakdown (KQED) - **2022-05-10** — Published: Meet Malia Cohen: Candidate For California Controller (Patch) - **2022-05-02** — Published: What would Malia Cohen do as California controller? (CalMatters) - **2022-04-05** — Cohen interviewed by CalMatters (CalMatters) - **2022** — Cohen pledged as a candidate to scrutinize homelessness spending, EDD and DMV (CalMatters) - **2021-05-19** — Published: Why Malia Cohen is running for State Controller in 2022 (ONME News) - **2021-05** — Cohen announced candidacy for Controller (ONME News) - **2019** — Cohen launched BOE property tax modernization initiative (CalMatters) - **2018** — Cohen served as SF Board of Supervisors president (Patch) - **2015** — Cohen's defense of San Francisco's sanctuary policy drew criticism from Bill O'Reilly (Patch) ## Sources ### 2026 general election voter guide: California State Controller - LAist · voter guide · published 2026-10-03 · stance: neutral - LAist's general-election guide to the Controller race, republishing CalMatters material (updated October 19, 2026). It says Cohen is running for re-election on 'transparency, efficiency and fairness' and urged caution during budget talks, and that Morgan wants to use the office to investigate fraud. - Cohen: incumbent since 2023; key endorsements California Democratic Party, California Labor Federation, Equality California. - Morgan: chief investment officer; key endorsements California Republican Party, California Republican Assembly, Unity Party of California. - Links to both campaigns' endorsement lists. - Reference: Cohen campaign site - Reference: Cohen endorsements - Reference: California Democratic Party endorsements - Reference: Morgan endorsements - Reference: California Republican Party endorsements ### California Voter Guide 2026: Controller - CalMatters · voter guide · published 2026-09-29 · stance: neutral - CalMatters' 2026 Voter Guide page for the Controller race. It describes the office and gives short profiles of Malia M. Cohen (D) and Herb W. Morgan (R), with key endorsements and campaign-finance table headings (the tables themselves did not appear in the stored text). - Cohen campaigns on governing finances with 'transparency, efficiency and fairness' and urged caution during budget talks. - Morgan runs on exposing fraud in government and founded an investment firm later acquired by Cantor Fitzgerald Investment Advisors. - Endorsements: Cohen — California Democratic Party, California Labor Federation, Equality California; Morgan — California Republican Party, California Republican Assembly, Unity Party of California. ### Official Voter Information Guide: Statewide Candidate Statements (PDF) - California Secretary of State · position statement · published 2026-09-28 · stance: not_applicable - The official printed voter guide's Controller statements (p. 86), the same text as the SoS web page. Cohen runs on her record: expanded access to financial and payroll data, timely monthly cash reports, unclaimed property reunited with all 58 counties, and payroll-system modernization. - Cohen: running 'to ensure taxpayer dollars are managed with transparency, accountability, and fairness.' - Says 'budgets are moral documents that should reflect our shared values and invest in people, not special interests.' - Lists labor, health-care worker and Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California support. ### GrowSF voter guide November 2026: Controller - GrowSF · endorsement · published 2026-09-24 · stance: support - GrowSF, a San Francisco political group, recommends voting for Malia Cohen for Controller in its November 2026 guide. It cites her prior chairing of SF Board of Supervisors budget and audit committees, her leadership of the San Francisco Employees' Retirement System, her seats on the CalPERS and CalSTRS boards, her charter-school fraud task force, and her office's publication of public-pay data. It also says it would like to see the office return more of the roughly $15 billion in unclaimed property. - GrowSF endorses Cohen: 'Cohen knows public finance, and she knows San Francisco.' - It credits her with leading a task force that produced 20 fixes for state school-finance audits after the state's largest charter school fraud. - It notes her office publishes pay data for more than 2 million government workers. - It says it wants the office to return $15B in unclaimed property automatically, as it says other states do. - Links to both candidates' GrowSF questionnaires. - Reference: Cohen GrowSF questionnaire - Reference: Morgan GrowSF questionnaire - Reference: Bond Buyer: charter school fraud recommendations - Reference: SCO public pay data ### California Voter Guide 2026 - CalMatters · voter guide · published 2026-07-28 · stance: neutral - The index page of CalMatters' 2026 California Voter Guide. It covers key dates, the governor's race, propositions and legislative races, and links to individual race pages; it does not discuss Malia Cohen or the Controller race in its text. - Hub for CalMatters' nonpartisan 2026 voter guide, with links to race pages. - Lists election dates: ballots mailed Oct 5, registration deadline for mail ballots Oct 19, Election Day Nov 3. - No content specific to the Controller race or Cohen. ### California gets a clean audit, now comes the hard part - California Globe · third party analysis · published 2026-05-21 · stance: mixed - Commentary in the California Globe by Marc Joffe, a Visiting Fellow at the California Policy Center. It reports that on May 12, 2026 Cohen released the 2024-25 Annual Comprehensive Financial Report, 42 days past the standard nine-month deadline but much less delayed than in recent years, and that the state received a clean (unmodified) audit opinion for the first time since 2019. Joffe credits Cohen with 'a marked improvement' while saying she 'seemed like a questionable replacement' given her experience, and argues that internal-control weaknesses remain, especially in Medi-Cal. - ACFR for FY2024-25 released May 12, 2026, 42 days after the nine-month deadline. - First clean audit opinion since 2019, per the author. - Joffe says filing delays began under former Controller Betty Yee, peaking around 12 months for fiscal 2021. - Joffe says Cohen 'deserves credit for overseeing a marked improvement.' - He cites the State Auditor's internal-control report on material weaknesses at the Department of Health Care Services and says the federal government is withholding $1.3 billion in Medi-Cal matching payments. - Reference: FY2024-25 ACFR - Reference: State Auditor internal control and compliance report - Reference: Cato: California misses audit deadline ### California High-Speed Rail: A Textbook Case of Fiscal Failure Under Controller Malia Cohen (op-ed by Herb Morgan) - California Globe · position statement · published 2026-05-21 · stance: oppose - Op-ed by her opponent, Herb Morgan, arguing that Cohen failed to use the Controller's pre-payment review power (Gov. Code §12410) to demand funding-sufficiency studies and milestone registers before approving high-speed rail payments. - Morgan: 'There is no clear public evidence that Controller Malia Cohen's office imposed these basic safeguards.' - He attributes the outcome to her 'lack of financial experience.' - He concedes the project's failures 'span multiple administrations.' ### CA election 2026: controller race - CalMatters · voter guide · published 2026-05-08 · stance: neutral - CalMatters profile of the 2026 Controller race. It reports that Cohen has raised more than $1.2 million, urged caution in budget talks, and cleared a backlog of late Annual Comprehensive Financial Reports by releasing four in two years. It also reports that she did not carry out her 2022 pledges to scrutinize homelessness spending, EDD and DMV, which she attributes to the state auditor having already reviewed them; she focused instead on modernizing FI$Cal and the payroll system. It briefly profiles challengers Herb Morgan and Meghann Adams. - Cohen has raised more than $1.2 million and has served since 2023. - CalMatters says Cohen improved delivery of the chronically late ACFR, releasing four reports in two years; she told CalMatters the next would be about two months late. - CalMatters says Cohen did not meet 2022 promises to scrutinize homelessness spending, EDD and DMV; she said the state auditor had already examined them. - Cohen is quoted: 'Californians deserve to know where their money is going.' - Morgan pledges to scrutinize homelessness spending and use AI to monitor nonprofit transactions; Adams (Peace and Freedom) is also running. - Reference: CalMatters 2026 Controller race page - Reference: SCO press release: Cohen urges caution - Reference: CalMatters: financial report chronically late - Reference: CalMatters 2022 Cohen interview - Reference: CalMatters: homelessness spending tracking - Reference: Morgan campaign donation dashboard ### 2026 primary election: California controller race explainer - KPBS · voter guide · published 2026-05-04 · stance: neutral - KPBS republication of the CalMatters candidate explainer for the Controller race. It describes the office and gives short profiles: Cohen, the incumbent since 2023, campaigns on governing state finances with 'transparency, efficiency and fairness' and has urged legislators to spend with caution; Morgan runs on exposing fraud. - Cohen has served since 2023 and is seeking re-election. - She campaigns on 'transparency, efficiency and fairness.' - Top endorsements listed: California Democratic Party, California Labor Federation, Equality California. - Morgan's listed endorsements: California Republican Party, California Republican Assembly, Unity Party of California. - Reference: Cohen campaign site - Reference: Morgan campaign site - Reference: CalMatters 2026 Voter Guide ### Herb Morgan calls for resignation or legislative review after undercover video on audit capacity - Herb Morgan for Controller · position statement · published 2026-04-08 · stance: oppose - Morgan campaign release calling for Cohen to resign, or for a legislative review of her office, after an O'Keefe Media Group undercover video in which her press secretary, Bismarck Obando, discusses staffing limits and audits not being completed. - Morgan: 'Controller Malia Cohen's office has acknowledged significant limitations in its audit capacity.' - He says the Legislature should act only 'if the concerns outlined in the video are substantiated.' ### GrowSF June 2026 candidate questionnaire: Malia Cohen - GrowSF · position statement · published 2026-04-07 · stance: neutral - Cohen's written answers to GrowSF's June 2026 primary questionnaire. She lists priorities in order: accountability and transparency in state spending (modernized audits and reporting), preserving commitments to education, health care, climate and infrastructure, expanding contracting for small and underrepresented businesses, oversight of homelessness and behavioral-health spending, and modernizing financial systems and cybersecurity. She answers questions on unclaimed property, local financial reporting, fiscal resilience, modernization, and nonpartisan oversight. - Top goal: strengthening accountability and transparency because 'public trust is foundational.' - Says the office 'cannot unilaterally rewrite policy' but can shape behavior through audits and public reporting. - Unclaimed property: says in 2025 the office reunited all 58 counties with more than $2.3 million; goal to 'significantly increase claim participation' through outreach and simpler claims; no numeric target. - Proposes an expanded long-term fiscal outlook dashboard tracking reserves, debt, revenue volatility and spending trends. - Names the California State Payroll System project as a modernization priority; cites $804 million in bond authority she approved for affordable student housing. ### Herb W. Morgan releases Radical Transparency white paper - Herb Morgan for Controller · position statement · published 2026-03-19 · stance: support - Morgan's 'Radical Transparency' white paper and release. As criticism of Cohen it lists late annual financial reports (FY2021-22 about 20 months after year-end; FY2022-23 17-18 months; FY2023-24 about 15 months), notes the State Auditor's high-risk designation for late reporting since 2020, and says she 'lacks the necessary experience, background, and skill.' - Release headline calls out 'Malia Cohen's Incompetence.' - Lags shrink across the three years Morgan lists, but he presents them as 'a pattern of incompetence and neglect.' - Says the Controller's withholding powers 'have gone largely unused across multiple administrations.' ### Controller Malia M. Cohen Statement on Governor Newsom's Proposed January Budget - California State Controller's Office · position statement · published 2026-01-09 · stance: not_applicable - Official State Controller's Office press release with Cohen's statement on Gov. Newsom's proposed 2026-27 January budget. She supports the plan to preserve and rebuild reserves, limit borrowing and keep spending aligned with revenues, and cites her December cash report showing receipts and expenditures both above Budget Act estimates as reason for restraint. - Cohen: 'I support the Governor's plan to preserve and rebuild reserves, keep borrowing in check, and maintain flexibility in the budget.' - She says strong revenue years 'do not eliminate California's long-term fiscal challenges.' - She warns against 'locking in ongoing commitments that cannot be sustained over the long term.' ### State Controller's Office 2025 audit reports (county offices of education) - California State Controller's Office · decision record · published 2025 · stance: not_applicable - ### California controller releases recommendations to prevent charter school fraud - The Bond Buyer · news · published 2024-09-26 · stance: neutral - Bond Buyer report that Cohen released recommendations from the task force she led, formed in 2023 after the San Diego A3 charter-school fraud, to strengthen charter school auditing. The recommendations cover auditor expertise, authorization requirements, the K-12 Audit Guide and audit disclosures; Cohen said she wants them applied across the K-12 system. - Task force formed by a September 2023 court order of San Diego Superior Court Judge Robert C. Longstreth in People v. Sean McManus. - Cohen led the task force with the San Diego District Attorney's Office and the case's successor receiver. - Cohen called the recommendations 'a critical road map for ensuring trust, accountability, and transparency.' - The fraud involved about $400 million paid for non-existent students; the state hoped to recoup $215 million. ### California's annual financial report is chronically late - CalMatters · news · published 2024-07-10 · stance: neutral - CalMatters 2024 report that California was late producing its Annual Comprehensive Financial Report for the sixth consecutive year. Cohen's office attributed delays of the 2021-22 report to unanticipated 2023 tax-filing extensions and agencies' transition to FI$Cal, said the delays had not harmed bond ratings, and said Cohen had pledged to get reports on track by March 2026. - Sixth consecutive year the ACFR missed the March 31/April 1 federal and bond deadlines; the latest available covered FY ending 2022, published March 2024. - Cohen's office blamed 2023 tax extensions and FI$Cal transition difficulties. - The office said delays had not yet harmed bond ratings because other data sources exist. - Cohen pledged in the March 2024 report to return to timely reporting by March 2026. - Truth in Accounting ranked California 48th in financial transparency in April 2024. - Reference: State auditor 2022 report on financial reporting - Reference: State auditor report on FI$Cal completion - Reference: Truth in Accounting 2024 transparency score ### State Controller Malia Cohen to chair state task force on charter school audits - Windy City Word · news · published 2023-12-05 · stance: neutral - California Black Media report, republished by The Windy City Word, that Cohen would chair a statewide multi-agency task force to develop audit criteria and best practices to prevent charter school fraud, formed by a San Diego Superior Court judge after the A3 Education case. It includes a direct statement from Cohen. - Task force formed by San Diego Superior Court Judge Robert Longstreth after 11 defendants were charged in a roughly $400 million fictitious-enrollment fraud at A3 Education. - Cohen says lead defendants agreed to turn over A3 assets and $215 million to the state. - Cohen: 'I could not in good conscience allow this matter to proceed through the judicial system without offering my office's assistance in drafting guidelines.' ### Malia Cohen on Her Early Meeting With DiFi and Her Run for State Controller - KQED · news · published 2022-07-21 · stance: neutral - KQED Political Breakdown podcast episode page from July 2022 in which then-Board of Equalization chair Malia Cohen discusses her childhood in San Francisco, a meeting with then-Mayor Dianne Feinstein, Lowell High School, and her run for Controller. KQED's summary line says she 'promises to bring progressive values to top watchdog role.' The stored page contains only the episode description, not a transcript. - Audio interview (about 28 minutes) from the 2022 campaign. - KQED describes her as promising 'to bring progressive values to top watchdog role.' - No transcript in the stored text. ### Meet Malia Cohen: Candidate For California Controller - Patch · news · published 2022-05-10 · stance: neutral - A 2022 CalMatters candidate profile, republished by Patch, presenting Cohen's background as a 'resume.' It covers her Board of Equalization chairmanship, eight years on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors, leadership of SFERS' $100 million fossil-fuel divestment, and her consulting firm, and says she pledged a collaborative approach including consulting fellow Democratic leaders before issuing reports. - BOE chair from 2019; first African-American woman on the board (per profile). - SF Supervisor 2011-2019, board president in 2018, Budget and Finance Committee chair. - As SFERS chair, led a $100 million fossil-fuel divestment. - Founded the consulting firm Power Forward after being fired from another consulting job. - CalMatters says she pledged to consult fellow Democratic leaders before issuing reports. ### What would Malia Cohen do as California controller? - CalMatters · interview · published 2022-05-02 · stance: neutral - CalMatters account of an 80-minute 2022 interview with then-candidate Malia Cohen, with extended direct quotes. Cohen describes the Controller's job as both administrative and a platform to advance equity and diverse leadership, pledges to scrutinize EDD, DMV and homelessness programs and to audit R&D tax-credit recipients, and describes a collaborative rather than 'gotcha' audit style. CalMatters notes she declined positions on some pending issues, such as a stimulus payment, a gas-tax pause, and divesting pension funds from Russian companies. - Cohen: 'I think that we do need to elect strong people with strong values that are not afraid to stand up and are not afraid to speak out.' - She pledged to scrutinize the EDD, DMV and state homelessness programs and audit R&D tax-credit recipients. - She described her style: 'My style is not, ‘I got you, aha.’' and favors private conversations about audit findings. - She declined to take positions on a stimulus payment, a gas-tax pause, and pension divestment from Russia, saying she needed more information on the last. - She expressed concern about the state's long-term fiscal direction. ### Why Malia Cohen is running for State Controller in 2022 - ONME News · news · published 2021-05-19 · stance: support - California Black Media report (via ONME News) on Cohen's 2021 announcement that she would run for Controller in 2022, with endorsement from then-Controller Betty Yee. It includes a one-line quote from Cohen on why she was running. - Cohen announced at the 2021 California Democratic Party convention. - Cohen: 'I am running because I am committed to equity, empowerment, hope and opportunity for all Californians.' - Betty Yee endorsed her; CDP Black Caucus chair Taisha Brown expressed support. ### Controller Candidate Statements (Official Voter Information Guide) - California Secretary of State · position statement · published undated · stance: support - The Secretary of State's official voter guide page for the Controller race, carrying candidate-supplied statements. Malia M. Cohen's statement describes her as the incumbent chief fiscal officer seeking re-election and lists accomplishments she claims as Controller: expanded public access to financial and payroll data, monthly cash reports, reuniting all 58 counties with unclaimed property, honoring local governments for financial reporting, and advancing payroll-system modernization. It closes with a list of supporting groups. - Cohen's statement says she is running for re-election 'to ensure taxpayer dollars are managed with transparency, accountability, and fairness.' - She describes herself as a lifelong Californian and working mom who believes 'budgets are moral documents.' - She claims to have expanded access to financial and payroll data, released timely monthly cash reports, reunited all 58 counties with millions in unclaimed property, and advanced payroll modernization. - She lists support from teachers, nurses, firefighters, Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, and several building-trades and labor groups. - The page also describes the office's duties: state accountant and bookkeeper, payroll, unclaimed property, audits, and board service. ### Malia Cohen for Controller - Malia Cohen for Controller 2026 · position statement · published undated · stance: support - Homepage of Cohen's 2026 re-election campaign. It says she was born and raised in San Francisco and is 'determined to fight for an equitable, healthy future for all Californians,' and lists seven priorities: housing, retirement security, an economy that works for all, affordable health care, reproductive access, equal rights, and protecting the planet. - Tagline: 'Building a Better Future — together.' - Seven listed priorities: housing crisis, retirement security, economy for all, affordable health care, reproductive access, equal rights, climate. - No detail on Controller-specific plans on the page itself. - Reference: Campaign issues page ### 2026 California State Controller election - Wikipedia · other · published undated · stance: neutral - ### Endorsements - Malia Cohen for Controller 2026 · endorsement · published undated · stance: support - Cohen campaign endorsement list. It names Gov. Gavin Newsom, Lt. Gov. Eleni Kounalakis, Secretary of State Shirley Weber, Sen. Adam Schiff, Treasurer Fiona Ma, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, Senate President pro Tem Monique Limón and others, plus dozens of labor unions and groups including the California Labor Federation, SEIU State Council, California Professional Firefighters, the California Democratic Party, Equality California and California Environmental Voters. - Statewide elected endorsers include Newsom, Kounalakis, Weber, Schiff and Ma. - Extensive labor support, including AFSCME, IBEW, UA, Teamsters, SEIU and the State Building and Construction Trades Council. - Also lists the California Statewide Law Enforcement Association and California State Retirees. ### Issues - Malia Cohen for Controller 2026 · position statement · published undated · stance: support - ## Suggested use Ask me neutral questions about this subject using the material above. Distinguish what the sources say from your own background knowledge, cite the source titles you rely on, and say when information may be out of date given the dates shown.