General Election
Attorney General · Statewide
A statewide choice on criminal, consumer and hate-crime enforcement
Incumbent Letitia James, attorney general since 2019, seeks reelection against Republican Saritha Komatireddy. Their documented positions cover public safety and criminal enforcement, consumer and taxpayer protection, and hate-crime enforcement. A Siena likely-voter poll conducted August 3–6 found James at 54% and Komatireddy at 36%, with 10% undecided.
Next: Rally Sat
Issues
3 issues · 2 candidates · every claim sourced
Public safety and criminal enforcement
Central to the raceNew York's attorney general has statewide criminal jurisdiction in defined areas, including multi-county organized crime, and Executive Law §63 provides specific pathways for participation in criminal cases. The statute does not make the office an automatic, unilateral replacement for every county district attorney; the outcome affects which statewide tools and statutory pathways are prioritized.
The data behind the debate
Reported violent-index crimes in New York State by region
Letitia James
Prioritizes protecting New Yorkers from gun violence, illegal firearms and ghost guns, and combating hate-based violence; her campaign also identifies organized-crime enforcement as part of that public-safety approach.
✓ Track record — what they've actually done
The Office of the Attorney General’s Organized Crime Task Force led a 20-month investigation that ended with 13 defendants convicted and sentenced in a gun-and-drug trafficking case; the investigation recovered 74 firearms and cocaine.
New York Attorney General / Office of the Attorney General Organized Crime Task Force · 2026-06-25 · Thirteen defendants were convicted and sentenced; the prosecution was reported as concluded.
Saritha Komatireddy
Says New York should respond to repeat offenders and people she describes as drug-addicted or mentally ill through enforcement of existing laws, residential treatment, and involuntary commitment.
Saritha for New York ↗Consumer and taxpayer protection
Also in playThe Consumer Frauds and Protection Bureau prosecutes fraudulent, misleading, deceptive, or illegal trade practices, while the office's taxpayer-protection functions pursue fraud against public funds. Executive Law section 63(12) lets the Attorney General apply to Supreme Court for an order concerning repeated or persistent fraud or illegality; the court may award the requested relief, including restitution and damages.
The data behind the debate
Consumer Sentinel reports in New York and New Jersey
Letitia James
Supports consumer-protection legislation and enforcement against predatory lenders, abusive debt collectors and dishonest mortgage providers, along with stronger accountability for deed theft and protection of consumers’ data and private information.
✓ Track record — what they've actually done
Co-authored legislation that took effect by making deed theft a crime and granting the Attorney General original criminal jurisdiction to prosecute it.
New York Attorney General; co-author · 2024-07-19 · Law took effect; it established deed theft as a crime and expanded OAG prosecutorial authority.
Saritha Komatireddy
Promises to deploy 20 additional criminal prosecutors to the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit, reinvigorate civil enforcement through the False Claims Act and restore the attorney general’s pursuit of fraudulent claims owed to New York taxpayers.
Saritha for New York ↗Hate-crime enforcement
Also in playThe Attorney General's Social Justice Division includes a Hate Crimes Section, and Executive Law §63(10) allows the attorney general to prosecute certain discrimination crimes when an offense is extensive or a district attorney has erroneously failed or refused to prosecute. The outcome affects staffing, referrals, and use of that statutory intervention.
The data behind the debate
Reported hate-crime incidents in New York State by region
Letitia James
Prioritizes combating hate-based violence and identifies work supporting victims of the 2022 Buffalo Tops supermarket shooting as part of her public-safety record.
✓ Track record — what they've actually done
The Office of the Attorney General investigated Betar US and announced a settlement ending its campaign of bias-motivated violence, harassment and intimidation targeting Muslim, Arab, Palestinian and Jewish New Yorkers.
New York Attorney General / Office of the Attorney General · 2026-01-13 · Settlement announced; the source states that further enforcement and penalties remained available for noncompliance.
Saritha Komatireddy
On August 17, 2026, promised to declare a state of emergency over antisemitism, staff the attorney general’s Hate Crimes Unit, and said she would seek to have the Attorney General's office take over prosecutions from district attorneys she says fail to protect communities.
Saritha for New York ↗