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GOP NY AG candidate Saritha Komatireddy loses spirited campaign against controversial Dem Letitia James
Letitia James won re-election as New York’s attorney general, defeating Republican challenger Saritha Komatireddy despite a campaign that brought scrutiny to James’s record and office. The result gives James a third term and continues Democrats’ sweep of the state’s top-ticket races.
With 67% of votes counted at 10:35 p.m., James had 63% to Komatireddy’s 37%; a poll the previous month had put Komatireddy within six points. Komatireddy, a former federal prosecutor, criticised James over her prosecution of Donald Trump and the state’s criminal justice policies, while James portrayed her as aligned with Trump. James’s office won a major civil case against Trump in 2024, though an appeal upheld the ruling without its large financial penalty.
In short
- Letitia James won a third term as New York attorney general.
- She led Saritha Komatireddy 63% to 37% with 67% counted.
- Democrats also won the state’s other top-ticket races.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
James’s re-election can be seen as voters endorsing an attorney general who pursued a major civil case against Trump and whose office secured a ruling that survived appeal, even after the financial penalty was removed. Her supporters may also value continuity and see Komatireddy’s criticism of James’s prosecution and criminal justice policies as insufficient reason to replace her.
The case against
Komatireddy’s challenge raised a case for stronger scrutiny of James’s record and the exercise of prosecutorial power, particularly in the Trump case and the state’s criminal justice policies. Her supporters could argue that voters should consider whether the attorney general’s decisions are even-handed and whether a former federal prosecutor would bring a different approach; her polling gains suggested those concerns resonated with some voters.