California Controller
| California Controller | |
 | |
| General information | |
| Office Type: | Partisan |
| Office website: | Official Link |
| Compensation: | $179,215 |
| 2025 FY Budget: | $330,681,000 |
| Term limits: | 2 terms |
| Structure | |
| Length of term: | 4 years |
| Authority: | California Constitution, Article 5, Section 11 |
| Selection Method: | Elected |
| Current Officeholder(s) | |
California Controller
Malia Cohen | |
| Elections | |
| Next election: | November 3, 2026 |
| Last election: | November 8, 2022 |
| Other California Executive Offices | |
| Governor • Lieutenant Governor • Secretary of State • Attorney General • Treasurer • Auditor • Controller • Superintendent of Public Instruction • Agriculture Secretary • Insurance Commissioner • Natural Resources Secretary • Industrial Relations Director • Public Utilities Commission | |
The California State Controller is an elected state executive office established by the California Constitution. The controller acts as the state's accountant and bookkeeper, tracking and controlling disbursement of state funds from the treasury. The controller also administers the Uniform State Payroll System, audits various state and local government programs, and disburses state aid to lower-level governments.
The controller serves on the Board of Equalization and the Franchise Tax Board. The areas of government audited and reviewed by the controller include school districts, the California State Lottery, oil and gas lease royalties, state agencies, and a multitude of local governments.
Current officeholder
The current California Controller is Malia Cohen (D). Cohen assumed office in 2023.
Authority
The office of controller is established by the California Constitution.[1]
California Constitution, Article 5, Section 11
|
The Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Controller, Secretary of State, and Treasurer shall be elected at the same time and places and for the same term as the Governor. |
Qualifications
Although there are no office-specific requirements for the office, each candidate for controller must:[2]
- Be a registered voter
- Be registered with their party for at least three months
- Not have been registered with a different political party in the last 12 months
- Not have been previously term-limited out of the office
Elections
Controllers are elected on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in federal midterm election years, e.g. 2018, 2022, 2026 and 2030.[3] Like all constitutional state officers, the controller assumes office on the first Monday in the new year following the election.[1]
California Constitution, Article 5, Section 11
|
The Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Controller, Secretary of State, and Treasurer shall be elected at the same time and places and for the same term as the Governor. No Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Controller, Controller, or Treasurer may serve in the same office for more than 2 terms. |
Term limits
Controllers, like all state constitutional officers, face an absolute limit of two terms in office.[1]
2022
- See also: California Controller election, 2022
General election
General election for California Controller
Malia Cohen defeated Lanhee Chen in the general election for California Controller on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Malia Cohen (D)  | 55.3 | 5,936,856 |
 | Lanhee Chen (R) | 44.7 | 4,789,345 | |
| Total votes: 10,726,201 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Nonpartisan primary election
Nonpartisan primary for California Controller
The following candidates ran in the primary for California Controller on June 7, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | | Lanhee Chen (R) | 37.2 | 2,533,305 |
| ✔ | | Malia Cohen (D) | 22.7 | 1,542,397 |
 | Yvonne Yiu (D) | 15.1 | 1,024,707 | |
 | Steve Glazer (D) | 11.1 | 756,518 | |
 | Ron Galperin (D) | 10.1 | 690,484 | |
 | Laura Wells (G) | 3.8 | 258,053 | |
| Total votes: 6,805,464 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
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Past elections
Vacancies
The vacancy procedure for the office of controller is determined by the state constitution. When a vacancy occurs, the governor nominates a replacement to serve the remainder of the term under the next election. The appointee must be confirmed by a majority of both house of the California legislature. Until the replacement is approved, the former officeholder's chief deputy exercises the office.[4]
California Constitution, Article 5, Section 5b
|
Whenever there is a vacancy in the office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction, the Lieutenant Governor, Secretary of State, Controller, Treasurer, or Attorney General, or on the State Board of Equalization, the Governor shall nominate a person to fill the vacancy who shall take office upon confirmation by a majority of the membership of the Senate and a majority of the membership of the Assembly and who shall hold office for the balance of the unexpired term. In the event the nominee is neither confirmed nor refused confirmation by both the Senate and the Assembly within 90 days of the submission of the nomination, the nominee shall take office as if he or she had been confirmed by a majority of the Senate and Assembly; provided, that if such 90-day period ends during a recess of the Legislature, the period shall be extended until the sixth day following the day on which the Legislature reconvenes. |
Duties
As of January 12, 2021, the controller's official website provided the following description of the office's function:[5]
| “ | As the chief fiscal officer of California, the fifth largest economy in the world, Controller Betty Yee is responsible for accountability and disbursement of the state’s financial resources. Controller Yee also safeguards many types of property until claimed by the rightful owners, independently audits government agencies that spend state funds, and administers the payroll system for state government employees and California State University employees. She serves on 70 boards and commissions with authority ranging from state public land management to crime victim compensation. The Controller is a member of numerous financing authorities, and fiscal and financial oversight entities including the Franchise Tax Board and Board of Equalization. She also serves on the boards of the nation's two largest public pension funds.(In some states, this government official is called a Comptroller.)[6] | ” |
Divisions
As of January 12, 2021, divisions within the California Controller's Office included:[5]
- Executive Office
- Administration and Disbursements
- Audits
- Information Systems
- Local Government Programs and Services
- Personnel and Payroll Services
- State Accounting and Reporting
- Unclaimed Property
State budget
- See also: California state budget and finances
The budget for the California State Controller's Office in the 2024-2025 Fiscal Year was $330,681,000.[7]
Compensation
- See also: Compensation of state executive officers
The salaries of California's elected executives are determined by the California Citizens Compensation Commission, a seven-member board appointed by the governor to six-year terms. The commission was established after voters passed Proposition 112, an amendment to the California Constitution, in 1990. Commissioners meet prior to June 30 of each year to determine salary recommendations with changes effective the following December. From 2003 to 2013, the commission voted to increase salaries or benefits five times and decreased or made no changes to salaries eight times.[8]
2023
In 2023, the officer's salary was $179,215, according to the Council of State Governments.[9]
2022
In 2022, the officer's salary was $174,843, according to the Council of State Governments.[10]
2021
In 2021, the controller received a salary of $167,796, according to the Council of State Governments.[11]
2020
In 2020, the controller received a salary of $167,796 according to the Council of State Governments.[12]
2019
In 2019, the controller received a salary of $161,342 according to the Council of State Governments.[13]
2018
In 2018, the controller received a salary of $156,643 according to the Council of State Governments.[14]
2017
In 2017, the controller received a salary of $152,081 according to the Council of State Governments.[15]
2016
In 2016, the controller received a salary of $146,232 according to the Council of State Governments.[16]
2015
In 2015, the controller received a salary of $141,973 according to the Council of State Governments.[17]
2014
In 2014, the controller received a salary of $139,189 according to the Council of State Governments.[18]
2013
In 2013, the controller received a salary of $139,189. This figure comes from the Council of State Governments.[19]
2010
In 2010, the controller received compensation in the amount of $130,490.[20]
Historical officeholders
| List of officeholders from 1849-Present[21] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Name | Tenure | Party | ||
| 1 | John S. Houston | 1849-1852 |  Democratic
| ||
| 2 | Winslow S. Pierce | 1852-1854 | Democratic
| ||
| 3 | Samuel Bell | 1854-1856 | Democratic
| ||
| 4 | George W. Whitman | 1856-1857 |  American Independent Party
| ||
| 5 | Edward F. Burton | 1857-1857 | American Independent Party
| ||
| 6 | George W. Whitman | 1857-1858 | American Independent Party
| ||
| 7 | Aaron R. Melony | 1858-1860 | DemocraticLeocompton
| ||
| 8 | Samuel H. Brooks | 1860-1861 | DemocraticLeocompton
| ||
| 9 | James S. Gillan | 1861-1862 | n/a | ||
| 10 | Gilbert R. Warren | 1862-1863 |  Republican
| ||
| 11 | George R. Oulton | 1863-1867 | Republican Unionist
| ||
| 12 | Robert Watt | 1867-1871 | Democratic
| ||
| 13 | James J. Green | 1871-1875 | Republican
| ||
| 14 | James W. Mandeville | 1875-1876 | Democratic
| ||
| 15 | William B. C. Brown | 1876-1877 | Democratic
| ||
| 16 | Daniel M. Kenfield | 1877-1883 | Republican
| ||
| 17 | John P. Dunn | 1883-1891 | Democratic
| ||
| 18 | Edward P. Colgan | 1891-1906 | Republican
| ||
| 19 | A. B. Nye | 1906-1913 | Republican
| ||
| 20 | John S. Chambers | 1913-1921 | Republican
| ||
| 21 | Ray L. Riley | 1921-1937 | Democratic
| ||
| 22 | Harry B. Riley | 1937-1946 | Republican
| ||
| 23 | Thomas Kuchel | 1946-1953 | Republican
| ||
| 24 | Robert C. Kirkwood | 1953-1959 | Republican
| ||
| 25 | Alan Cranston | 1959-1967 | Democratic
| ||
| 26 | Houston I. Flournoy | 1967-1975 | Republican
| ||
| 27 | Kenneth Cory | 1975-1987 | Democratic
| ||
| 28 | Gray Davis | 1987-1995 | Democratic
| ||
| 29 | Kathleen Connell | 1995-2003 | Democratic
| ||
| 30 | Steve Westly | 2003-2007 | Democratic
| ||
| 31 | John Chiang | 2007-2015 | Democratic
| ||
| 32 | Betty Yee | 2015-2023 | Democratic
| ||
| 33 | Malia Cohen | 2023-Present | Democratic
| ||
Contact information
Sacramento Office
300 Capitol Mall, Suite 1850
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (916) 445-2636
Fax: (916) 322-4404
Los Angeles Office
888 South Figueroa Street, Suite 2050
Los Angeles, California 90017
Phone: (213) 833-6010
Fax: (213) 833-6011
See also
| California | State Executive Elections | News and Analysis |
|---|---|---|
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 California Constitution, "Article 5, Section 11," accessed January 12, 2021
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "Summary of Qualifications and Requirements for the Offices of Secretary of State, Controller, and Treasurer," accessed January 12, 2021
- ↑ California Elections Code, "Sections 1001-1003," accessed January 12, 2021
- ↑ California Constitution, "Article 5, Section 5b," accessed January 12, 2021
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 California Controller, "State Controller's Functions," accessed January 12, 2021
- ↑ Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ California Budget, "2024-25 Budget - 0840 State Controller," accessed January 15, 2025
- ↑ California Citizens Compensation Commission, "About the Commission," accessed January 12, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2023 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed January 15, 2025
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2022 Table 4.11: Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," provided to Ballotpedia by CSG personnel
- ↑ Issuu, "The Book of the States 2021," accessed September 22, 2022
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2020," accessed January 12, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2019," accessed January 12, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2018," accessed January 12, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "The Book of the States 2017," accessed January 12, 2021
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2016," accessed August 27, 2016
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries, 2015," accessed August 27, 2016
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Selected State Administrative Officials: Annual Salaries," accessed November 14, 2014
- ↑ The Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2013, Table 4.11," accessed February 2, 2014
- ↑ Council of State Governments, "Book of the States 2010 -- Table 4.11," accessed June 23, 2011
- ↑ California Secretary of State, "History of California Constitutional Officers," accessed January 12, 2021
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