Mountain View, Calif. – Lanhee Chen (@lanheechen), one of America’s leading fiscal policy experts, today announced his candidacy for California State Controller, the state’s chief financial officer, as a Republican.

“For too long, the California State Controller has put partisan politics ahead of protecting taxpayers,” Chen said. “Too often, Sacramento politicians spend without results, and call for higher taxes instead of accountability. Californians need a fighter in the State Controller’s Office who will be a check on the one-party monopoly in Sacramento, expose fraud and waste in government, and ensure that we can account for every penny that our state spends. We need to stop spending first and asking questions later. California taxpayers deserve better.”

As Chen launches his campaign, the House Republican Leader, California Congressman Kevin McCarthy, announced his endorsement of the effort.

“Californians deserve to know exactly how their tax dollars are being spent, but right now, there is no accountability in Sacramento,” McCarthy said. “It’s time for a change; we need a strong, independent watchdog in Sacramento, like Lanhee Chen, protecting taxpayers from massive waste, fraud, and abuse caused by years of Democrat incompetence. Lanhee is a brilliant policy mind and proven problem solver who has spent his career tackling some of California and America’s biggest fiscal challenges. I know he can improve the lives of Californians as our State Controller, and I am proud to endorse him because of his unwavering commitment to fiscal responsibility, transparency, and accountability. We can count on Lanhee to fight for all of us.”

Chen is a fellow at the Hoover Institution and the Director of Domestic Policy Studies and a Lecturer in Public Policy at Stanford University. He also serves as Chair of the Board of Directors at El Camino Health and owns his own small business. Chen is a leading media figure whose ideas have appeared in major American newspapers and been shared on leading television networks in the US and around the world. He has helped leaders in California and across America develop policies to address some of country’s most pressing fiscal problems—like improving the health care system, saving Social Security, and growing our economy.

After earning four degrees from Harvard, including a law degree and doctorate in political science, Chen served in both Republican and Democratic presidential administrations. He served as an adviser to four Republican presidential campaigns. Chen was unanimously confirmed by the United States Senate to serve as a member of the bipartisan and independent Social Security Advisory Board.