Report: NY AG Letitia James Will Run For Governor. In this photo, New York Attorney General Letitia James speaks during a news conference, Tuesday, June 11, 2019, in New York. A group of state attorneys general led by New York and California filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday to block T-Mobile's $26.5 billion bid for Sprint, citing consumer harm. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer)
New York Attorney General Letitia James is planning to run for governor of New York, “three people directly familiar with the matter” told the Associated Press. They were not authorized to speak publicly, according to AP.
“Attorney General Letitia James has made a decision regarding the governor’s race. She will be announcing it in the coming days,” James’ campaign adviser Kimberly Peeler-Allen said in a statement, without saying what the decision was.
If James, 63, announces that she’s running for governor as expected, she will face off in a high-profile Democratic primary against current New York Gov. Kathy Hochuk, who ascended to the state’s top job from her role as lieutenant governor after former Gov. Andrew Cuomo resigned.
A Brooklyn native, James has made history twice by becoming both the first Black person to serve as New York’s AG and the first woman elected to the post.
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“It’s going to be a definitive moment to have a sitting governor challenged by the current attorney general from the same party who are both history-making in their own right,” State Sen. Brad Hoylman, a Democrat from Manhattan, told the New York Times. “This is the beginning of understanding the differences in the candidates.”
James rose to prominence in recent years for investigating high-profile individuals and organizations like former President Donald Trump and the National Rifle Association.
Her office was also responsible for the investigation into sexual harassment allegations against Gov. Cuomo that resulted in a scathing report ultimately leading to his resignation.
In addition to Hochul, James would face New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, who has filed paperwork to run for the governor’s office and launched an exploratory committee. Outgoing New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi have also both expressed the possibility of joining the race.
According to Politico, a hypothetical poll shows Hochul would lead a four-way contest with 39 percent of the vote, followed by James with 20 percent of the vote, de Blasio with 10 percent and Williams with 8 percent.
New York’s Democratic primary will be held in June 2022 and the general election is in November 2022.
