Poll Shows Letitia James' Lead Over Saritha Komatireddy Narrows in New York AG Race

The race for New York State attorney general is becoming more competitive, with Democratic incumbent Letitia James' lead over Republican Saritha Komatireddy decreasing by 5 points, according to a poll released on Wednesday. James, 67, currently leads Komatireddy, 42, by 13 points, with 52% of likely voters supporting James compared to 39% for Komatireddy, as reported by the Siena University survey. This marks a decline from James' 18-point lead of 54% to 36% in an August poll conducted by Siena. A significant challenge for Komatireddy is that two-thirds of likely voters are either unfamiliar with her or lack sufficient information to form an opinion, according to Siena pollster Steven Greenberg. Greenberg stated, "Unless Komatireddy can find a way to get more known to likely voters in the next few weeks, it appears that James is in a strong position heading into the home stretch of the campaign." James has served as the state AG since 2019 and is seeking a third term. She previously held positions as New York City public advocate and Brooklyn councilwoman. Komatireddy is actively campaigning and has been engaging with families of crime victims. Migdalia Martinez, a Bronx resident whose 12-year-old son Jacob was killed by a stray bullet in July, has endorsed Komatireddy in a recent advertisement. Additionally, Komatireddy held a press conference outside the Intrepid Museum on Tuesday, where she pledged to address homeless encampments and assist individuals with mental health issues. As a former federal prosecutor in Brooklyn's Eastern District of New York, Komatireddy managed high-profile cases related to international terrorism, cybercrime, narcotics trafficking, money laundering, and public corruption. Meanwhile, James continues to be in the news, having filed another lawsuit against the Trump administration on Tuesday, alleging that it provided energy companies with $1.4 billion in funds to cancel four significant offshore wind projects. James has gained national attention for her prosecution of Trump and his company for fraudulent practices, as well as for initiating a sexual misconduct investigation into former Governor Andrew Cuomo, which led to Cuomo's resignation in 2021, despite his denial of wrongdoing. In another race, Democratic incumbent Tom DiNapoli, who has been in office since 2007, leads Republican challenger Joseph Hernandez by 56% to 33%. The Siena University Poll was conducted from September 11 to 17 among 1,144 likely voters via mobile and landline phones and text, with a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.