New York Attorney General Letitia James (D) announced Friday that she is running for governor of New York — a move which is likely to set up a bruising primary fight against incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul (D).
“As I’ve traveled all around New York state, I have witnessed too many working families struggling to make ends meet, and it’s clear that the status quo just won’t do,” James said in a video advertisement. “New Yorkers need a governor who isn’t afraid to stand up to powerful interests on behalf of the vulnerable.”
“Throughout my career, I’ve taken on big forces and New Yorkers know I will never back down when it comes to fighting for them. Today, I am proud to announce my candidacy for governor of New York so we can bring transformational change that uplifts all New Yorkers,” she added.
James’ announcement comes one day after a misdemeanor sex-crime complaint was filed against disgraced former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) in a Albany court. In the complaint, the befallen Democrat is accused of forcibly touching a woman in the governor’s Executive Mansion in December of 2020.
James was born and raised in Brooklyn and made her first run for City Council as a candidate of the liberal Working Families Party. Her path to the nomination will be the observe of Hochuls, trying to win over upstate Democrats who might be less progressive.
Before her bombshell report was released, prompting Cuomo’s resignation, James had been known nationally for her frequent legal tussles with former President Donald Trump.
Since she became attorney general in 2019, her office has investigated Trump’s business affairs and sued the Republican’s administration dozens of times over federal policies on immigration, the environment and other matters.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.