# Controller — California Candidate Report Card

**Election: November 3, 2026. Research checked: October 7, 2026.**

Every office deserves an explanation, and every candidate deserves the same questions. This page begins the public record for California’s controller contest, with evidence that readers can inspect and challenge.

## WHAT THIS OFFICE DOES

The controller tracks state finances, administers payroll and unclaimed property, and audits public spending. The office is distinct from the treasurer.

## THE CANDIDATES

### Malia M. Cohen

**Democratic.** Her statement describes financial and payroll transparency, cash reporting, unclaimed-property returns, and payroll modernization. These claimed results need independent audit evidence.

![Malia M. Cohen — portrait supplied to the official California voter guide](/images/redesign/elections/candidates/controller-cohen.jpg)

[Candidate website](https://maliacohenforca.com/)

**Question for the candidate:** What payroll milestones and audit findings should voters use to judge your next term?

### Herb W Morgan

**Republican.** His statement proposes transaction-level spending disclosure, near-real-time reporting, and pre- and post-expenditure audits.

![Herb W Morgan — portrait supplied to the official California voter guide](/images/redesign/elections/candidates/controller-morgan.jpg)

[Candidate website](https://herbmorgan.com/)

**Question for the candidate:** What would the database cost, when would it launch, and what privacy safeguards would it include?

## PROVISIONAL SCORECARD

| Candidate | Clear commitments / 10 | Full report / 90 |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Malia M. Cohen | 6 | Not assigned |
| Herb W Morgan | 6 | Not assigned |

**Why these limited scores:** Both name concrete financial-administration tools. Neither statement establishes a quantified future performance target and delivery date.

## HOW TO READ THE SCORE

**Provisional AI research assessment — not Omar’s final score or endorsement.** This first pass rates only the **clear, measurable commitments** category using the candidate’s published statement. It does not rate personal character, policy desirability, or the likelihood of winning.

The 10-point rule gives up to two points each for: a stated action; an identifiable delivery mechanism; a connection to this office’s responsibilities; a quantified success target; and an implementation deadline. Two means explicit, one means partial, and zero means absent from the reviewed statement. Here, zero describes a missing element in this specific document, not the candidate’s ability or complete platform. A candidate with no reviewed statement remains unscored.

The other eight categories require broader evidence: relevant experience; accountability; education; affordability; economic opportunity; civil rights and religious freedom for everyone; environment; and practical use of office powers. **They remain unscored in this first pass. No total out of 90 is assigned.** A fuller record may change the provisional category score.

## THREE VOICES — ONE OPEN RECORD

**AI research:** the sourced snapshot and limited assessment above. **Voter response:** Omar and other readers can give their own assessments. **Candidate response:** candidates can provide evidence, corrections, and their own scores. No candidate responses or endorsements are claimed here.

**Who will win?** No election forecast is assigned. This report contains no reviewed polling; a statement score is not a probability of winning.

We wish every candidate the best of luck and hope the result serves the people of California. The research remains open. The human decides.

## SOURCES AND PORTRAITS

[Official candidate statements and office responsibilities](https://voterguide.sos.ca.gov/candidates/controller-candidate-statements.htm). Statements are supplied by candidates and are not independently fact-checked by the Secretary of State. The score evaluates the submitted wording; it does not validate every claim.

[Official guide’s candidate list](https://voterguide.sos.ca.gov/voter-info/info-about-candidate-statements.htm). Check the certified list and your own ballot for the complete applicable contest.

[Portrait source — Malia M. Cohen](https://voterguide.sos.ca.gov/img/controller/cohen.jpg)

[Portrait source — Herb W Morgan](https://voterguide.sos.ca.gov/img/controller/morgan.jpg)

[Back to California — The People's Ballot](https://omararizona.com/us-politics-vote-2026-2028-elections/california)