Unconventional Republican runs for comptroller
Anjali Reed Phukan. MarylandReporter.com photo by Rebecca Nelson
By Len Lazarick
Len@MarylandReporter.com
Anjali Reed Phukan has been the only official candidate for state comptroller for four months now. She filed the same day she became a Republican on April 20, saying she wanted to be an “environmental Republican” like Gov. Larry Hogan.
The 39-year-old Montgomery County native is as unconventional as her name, pronounced ahn-JAH-lee FOO-kahn. She goes by Anjie.
Her credentials as a certified public accountant are conventional enough — she has two master’s degrees in business, information systems, and data mining. She’s currently an auditor with the Maryland State Lottery and Gaming Control Agency, reviewing compliance with state regulations at Ocean Downs casino.
She developed a taste for politics growing up in Montgomery County, working in several Democratic campaigns. “I was interested in being part of the political process.”
She also developed a taste for drugs, which got her “kicked out a number of times from Montgomery County schools. I’m in recovery.”
Not a partisan
She’s not a fan of partisan bickering and was unaffiliated for 10 years before she turned Republican in April. “I can’t do the Democrat and Republican thing, I’m way into math.”
In 2014, she ran as a write-in candidate against Democratic Comptroller Peter Franchot and Republican Bill Campbell. Franchot got 63% of the vote to win his third term. Phukan got 595 votes.
“The corporate evil empire is both a Democrat and Republican machine,” she said.
In 2011, she participated in the Occupy Wall Street movement. “I wouldn’t call it far left, I’d call it ‘far angry,’” saying she found many conservatives and Republicans taking part.
Last year, she ran in the nonpartisan race for Montgomery County school board
“A hundred thousand people voted for me and I didn’t put a dime in the campaign,” she got 31% of the vote (actually 107,255) against Shebra Evans in District 4. Phukan said she saw plenty of partisan money flowing into those races.
She is about to roll out a campaign platform. One of her ideas is removing interest and penalties for people who don’t pay taxes, since it discourages them from coming forward as the charges pile up. “The federal amnesty program is way better than Maryland’s.”
For the moment, “I’m holding off on the truth,” about the comptroller’s office.
In her campaign statement, Phukan said, “I see Franchot not as an enemy, but a person to win over into cooperative politics.”
“As such, if I win, I will offer him a consulting position to finish working on his greatest projects.” (Perhaps Franchot’s Reform on Tap commission rewriting beer brewery regs?)
“I will not let partisan selfishness take away from his accomplishments.”
“Even if I am crazy, I’m the best person for the job,” she said. Not your typical campaign statement, for sure.
“Math people are definitely in a weird league of their own.”
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