Biography

Elaine Phillips

County Comptroller

Voters elected Elaine Phillips to be the first woman to serve as Nassau County Comptroller in November of 2021.  A former New York State Senator and Mayor of The Village of Flower Hill, she is a trailblazer with a long and successful career in finance and public service.   

Phillips is a focused leader who is committed to ensuring that every hard-earned tax dollar that comes from residents is spent properly and that the county government operates efficiently, ethically and with transparency. As Comptroller, she sees herself as the independent protector of the taxpayers of Nassau County.   

As a working mother of three daughters, Phillips recognized the importance of giving back to community organizations and served as a PTA President and as a Board Member of her parish church.  She also served terms as Trustee in the Village of Munsey Park and then in the Village of Flower Hill. Subsequently, she became the first woman to be elected Mayor of the Village of Flower Hill in 2012.  While in office, she cut taxes and stabilized the Village’s finances.  

In 2016 the voters of New York’s 7th Senate District elected her as their State Senator, making her the first woman to represent the district in Albany. As Senator she was Chair of the New York Senate Banks Committee, Infrastructure Committee and Ethics Committee. 

Senator Phillips championed lower taxes and voted to reject billions of dollars in tax increases. Her efforts resulted in record State aid for Long Island schools and additional funding for highways, local roads, libraries, fire companies, veterans and nonprofit groups. 

As Senator she authored seven laws—including historic domestic violence legislation that keeps guns away from known abusers—and helped inspire dozens more, including the landmark law to stop sexual harassment in the workplace, doubled tax credits for families with child care expenses, and protected Nassau County homeowners from hidden property tax hikes. 

In Albany she partnered with lawmakers on both sides of the political aisle to protect Long Island’s drinking water supply, improve transparency and accountability and rebuild public trust in government. As Senator she established a reputation for her hard work, integrity and ability to bring people together. 

In the private sector, Phillips enjoyed a 25-year career in finance, with the majority of those years spent at Goldman Sachs. 

Phillips is a Sixth Degree Blackbelt and Martial Arts instructor. She currently serves on the Boards of Island Harvest and SCO Family of Services.  

Phillips was the first in her family to attend college, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in political science and an MBA in finance from Penn State University. A resident of the Village of Flower Hill, she and her husband, Andy, are parents of three daughters, Kate, Hannah and Sarah.