Letitia James Wins Third Term as New York Attorney General
Letitia James won reelection as New York attorney general on November 3, defeating Republican challenger Saritha Komatireddy and securing a third term. The Associated Press projected James as the winner. At 10:35 p.m., with 67% of votes counted, James had 63% and Komatireddy 37%. James celebrated with other victorious statewide Democrats, including Gov. Kathy Hochul and Comptroller Tom DiNapoli.
Komatireddy, a former federal prosecutor, presented herself as a fair-minded, crime-focused alternative. She accused James of politicizing the attorney general’s office and supporting a criminal justice system that failed crime victims. During the campaign, Komatireddy called James a “political hack” over her prosecution of Donald Trump.
James, who has been a longtime adversary of Trump, repeatedly characterized Komatireddy as a “Trump puppet.” Her office won a lawsuit involving Trump, his sons and his previous company over claims they overstated property values and misrepresented Trump’s wealth. An appeals court upheld the case but removed its large financial penalty.
Komatireddy had drawn closer to James in a survey by Siena University conducted last month, but the challenger’s criticisms did not prevent James from winning in the predominantly Democratic state. James said voters had given her a mandate to continue her work and promised to keep defending their values.
James is New York’s first woman of color elected to statewide office and its first woman attorney general. Her office has also joined efforts to secure funds tied to opioid-related cases and reported removing more than 10,000 guns from the state’s streets through buyback events since 2019.
New Yorkers Reelect James Despite GOP Attacks
New York voters returned Letitia James to the attorney general’s office, rejecting a Republican campaign that centered on her prosecution of Donald Trump and criticism of the state’s criminal justice system. With 67% of votes counted at 10:35 p.m., James led Saritha Komatireddy 63% to 37%; the Associated Press projected her reelection.
James celebrated alongside Gov. Kathy Hochul and Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, as Democrats swept the top statewide races. She said voters wanted her to continue her work and vowed to keep defending their values.
Komatireddy, a former federal prosecutor, accused James of politicizing the office and failing crime victims. She called James a “political hack” over the lawsuit involving Trump, his sons and his previous company, which involved claims they overstated property values and misrepresented his wealth. An appeals court upheld the case but removed its large financial penalty.
James countered by calling Komatireddy a “Trump puppet.” The challenger had come within six points in a Siena University survey conducted last month, but her attacks did not overcome James’s support in the predominantly Democratic state.
James’s office has joined efforts to secure funds tied to opioid-related cases and says it has removed more than 10,000 guns from New York streets through buyback events since 2019. Her victory gives her a third term as the state’s attorney general.
James Wins Again as Voters Reject Tough-on-Crime Challenge
Letitia James secured a third term as New York attorney general on November 3, defeating Saritha Komatireddy despite the Republican challenger’s focus on crime victims and accusations of political bias. With 67% of votes counted at 10:35 p.m., James held a 63% to 37% lead, and the Associated Press projected her victory.
Komatireddy, a former federal prosecutor, argued that James had politicized her office and backed a criminal justice system that failed victims. She called James a “political hack” over the prosecution of Donald Trump. Her campaign offered voters an alternative she described as impartial and tough on crime.
James, a longtime Trump adversary, dismissed Komatireddy as a “Trump puppet.” Her office brought a lawsuit involving Trump, his sons and his previous company over claims they overstated property values and misrepresented his wealth. An appeals court upheld the case but removed its large financial penalty.
The challenger had narrowed the gap to six points in a Siena University survey conducted the previous month, but James prevailed in a predominantly Democratic state. She celebrated with Gov. Kathy Hochul and Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, who also won reelection.
James’s office has joined efforts to obtain money tied to opioid-related cases and says it has removed more than 10,000 guns from New York streets through buyback events since 2019. Komatireddy’s campaign put crime and the conduct of the attorney general’s office at the center of the contest, but voters returned James for another term.
Reported by New York Post, FOX 5 New York.
