A veteran Albany City Hall staff member is now running for Chief City Auditor.
"My name is David Galin. I am a proud Democrat, son of a union mechanic and a resident of Albany's Helderberg neighborhood, and it is my true honor to announce that I am running to become Albany's next chief city auditor." 35-year old David Galin has served eight years with Albany Mayor Kathy Sheehan, nearly five as the third-term Democrat’s Chief of Staff.
"I'm running to become your watchdog in City Hall," Galin said. "I want to save hard earned taxpayer dollars, and I want to continue to solve the problems our residents face. And these aren't just buzzwords to me, I live and breathe this work every day."
Galin, who hails from the Greene County town of Hunter, is graduate of the University at Albany and Albany Law School.
"And through working at United Way, Legal Aid and the last 10 years in the city of Albany, my dedication to integrity, ethics and public service remains stronger than ever, thanks to the tireless leadership of Mayor Sheehan," said Gain. "We right sized the city budget, we built up our fund balance, and we did more with less. We let our city through a global pandemic and the immediate recovery afterwards, we invested $81 million from the American Rescue Plan to address some of the greatest challenges the city has faced and continues to face to this day, and we're one step closer to securing $400 million for downtown Albany. We did all this through a lens of equity."
Galin is running for the seat now held by Dorcey Applyrs, who launched her own campaign for mayor in November 2023. Considered to be a leading candidate in June’s Democratic primary, Applyrs was the first to mount a run when Sheehan announced she wouldn't seek another term. Sheehan is backing Galin and joined Wednesday’s kickoff event at a warehouse district coffeeshop.
"He will be accountable to the people who elect him," said Sheehan. "He loves this community, he loves this country, and he will stand firm against that very type of scenario in which our government could be used in a way that is completely outside the rule of law. I have relied on his counsel for many years, and I know that he comes from a place of service. He comes from a place of integrity, and he will do everything in his power to ensure that the taxpayers, the residents, the people of this city and this community are protected. And he will work to make them proud of their city government and the services that we provide and the work that our workforce does day in and day out."
The Democratic primary is June 24th. Galin has not held elected office.
