Comptroller race attracts Democratic challenger

POUGHKEEPSIE — One of the many races on the ballot this November in Dutchess County is for County Comptroller.

Current comptroller A. Gregg Pulver, a Republican, is going head-to-head with Democrat Dan Aymar-Blair for the seat.

Pulver became the comptroller at the beginning of 2024 when Robin Lois, his predecessor, took a job in state comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s office. “With my years of experience running budgets and county government, they thought I would be a good fit,” Pulver said.

Pulver has worked in agriculture and government at the local and county levels for years. This experience has given him a lot of exposure to budgets on the legislative side. As comptroller, he said, Pulver tries to work with legislators and not against them. “We try to solve problems,” Pulver said. “Not create problems.”

Aymar-Blair, Pulver’s Democratic challenger, said he wants to bring a more critical, direct approach to the comptroller’s office. Although the comptroller is not a policy-making office, Blair said the comptroller should take a more active role in county government, issuing reports with strong, evidence-based arguments for or against spending.

Aymar-Blair said he’s had years of experience managing and auditing budgets, including for New York City Public Schools where he’s managed a budget as large as Dutchess County’s since 2009. On top of his day job, Aymar-Blair has been involved in political activism and non-profits, and he’s currently finishing out his third term as Beacon City Councilman.

Aymar-Blair has some big plans if elected to comptroller. “Eventually I want to get to every department,” Aymar-Blair said. He sees reporting as a huge part of the job, and a source of power for the comptroller that’s under utilized.

“Looking at the long-term finances of the county, I’d like to see the county make more investments that save us money over time,” Aymar-Blair said. He believes the county is over-reliant on sales tax, and the more than $1 billion in pension and other fiscal obligations makes him nervous for a potential downturn and decline in sales tax revenue, especially after Albany failed to approve sales tax increases recently.

Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5. More information on how to register to vote can be found at elections.ny.gov.