Public service and election history
- 2011–2019
San Francisco supervisor
Represented District 10 on the San Francisco Board of Supervisors. She served as board president in 2018–2019; the city adopted a resolution honoring her service in December 2018. She also chaired the Budget and Finance Committee and served as president of the San Francisco Employees’ Retirement System. [5][4][2]
- 2019–2023
State Board of Equalization
Elected in November 2018 to represent District 2. Her term began January 7, 2019. She chaired the board in 2019 and again in 2022. The BOE’s responsibilities include oversight of California’s property-tax system. She continued on the board as the Controller’s fifth voting member after changing offices in 2023. [3][2][6]
- 2021
- 2023–present
California State Controller
Won the November 8, 2022 election against Republican Lanhee Chen. Certified results show 5,936,856 votes for Cohen, or 55.3%, compared with 4,789,345 votes for Chen, or 44.7%. Governor Gavin Newsom administered her oath on January 2, 2023. She became the first Black woman to hold the office. [7][2]
Early life and education
Cohen was born and raised in San Francisco and attended public schools. She earned a bachelor’s degree in political science at Fisk University. [1]
She graduated from Carnegie Mellon University’s Heinz College in 2008 with a master’s degree in public policy and management. In a 2023 university interview, she described how coursework on decision-making and political influence informed her work in public office. [6]
Does Malia Cohen have an accounting or financial professional background?
Cohen’s official biography lists a political science degree and a master’s in public policy and management. It presents elected financial oversight as her experience: the Board of Equalization, San Francisco’s Budget and Finance Committee, and the city’s retirement board. It does not list a CPA license or an accounting degree. [1][2][6]
Her earlier employment included the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco’s Corporate Strategy and Communications team. Her consulting business, Power Forward, worked in social media and public policy. These job descriptions matter when weighing her preparation to run California’s fiscal watchdog office. [11][10]
What was Power Forward Consulting?
Power Forward was Cohen’s social media and public-policy consulting business. CalMatters’ 2022 candidate profile describes work that included writing blog posts, opinion pieces and editorials for clients. Cohen discussed starting the company in a May 6, 2021 Career Curves interview. [10][12]
BallotReady’s public profile lists “Power Forward Consulting, Senior Consultant (2008 - Present).” That is the date range displayed by the profile, rather than a verified finding of current paid employment. The listing is worth comparing with her public financial disclosures and the company’s filings. [13]
What does the State Controller do?
The Controller is California’s chief fiscal officer. The job combines financial administration with independent oversight of agencies that spend state money. [2]
- Public spending and payments
- The office accounts for state funds, reviews expenditures, processes state payroll and prepares financial reports. It also has independent auditing authority over agencies that spend state funds. [1][6]
- Unclaimed property
- The office administers California’s unclaimed-property program, including property transferred to the state and claims from owners seeking its return. [1]
- Tax and pension boards
- Cohen chairs the Franchise Tax Board and serves on the governing boards of CalPERS and CalSTRS. Her Controller position also gives her a voting seat on the Board of Equalization. [1][2]
- Housing tax credits
- The California Tax Credit Allocation Committee’s May 12, 2026 materials list Cohen as a voting member. The committee awards tax credits for low-income housing projects. This is a separate role from auditing homelessness spending. [8]
Public profiles and candidate statements
- LinkedIn Malia Cohen’s public profile
- Official biography State Controller’s Office
- Campaign biography Malia Cohen for California
- 2022 candidate statement Archived official voter guide
- 2026 candidate statement Official voter guide