AP Sources: Letitia James will run for New York governor

New York Attorney General Letitia James plans to tally for governor, according to 3 radical straight acquainted with her plans who spoke to The Associated Press connected Wednesday.

James volition participate the contention arsenic a formidable campaigner for the Democratic information conscionable months aft issuing a damning study that drove Andrew Cuomo from bureau successful a intersexual harassment scandal.

The 3 radical acquainted with her plans were not authorized to talk publicly. James is expected to marque an announcement aboriginal this week, according to 1 of the people.

Kimberly Peeler-Allen, a James run advisor said successful a statement: “Attorney General Letitia James has made a determination regarding the governor’s race. She volition beryllium announcing it successful the coming days.”

James, 63, is the archetypal pistillate elected arsenic New York’s lawyer wide and the archetypal Black idiosyncratic to service successful the role. With a powerfulness basal successful New York City, she is poised to beryllium a apical menace to Gov. Kathy Hochul, who had been Cuomo’s lieutenant governor.

Hochul, who is from the Buffalo area, entered bureau with a estimation arsenic a governmental centrist but has been striving to triumph implicit New York City progressives, making galore appearances successful the metropolis during her archetypal months successful office.

James, who was calved and raised successful Brooklyn and made her archetypal tally for City Council arsenic a campaigner of the wide Working Families Party, would person the reverse task of winning implicit upstate Democrats who mightiness beryllium much conservative.

Before this year, James was champion known nationally for her predominant ineligible tussles with erstwhile President Donald Trump.

Since she became lawyer wide successful 2019, her bureau has investigated Trump’s concern affairs and sued the Republican’s medication dozens of times implicit national policies connected immigration, the situation and different matters.

James besides filed a suit accusing the National Rifle Association’s leaders of fiscal mismanagement, the latest successful a drawstring of regulatory actions that person delighted liberals but drawn complaints from Republicans that she has unfairly utilized her bureau to people governmental opponents.

Under nationalist pressure, Cuomo past twelvemonth authorized James to analyse allegations helium had sexually harassed respective women. The autarkic investigators she hired to behaviour the enquiry released a study successful August concluding that determination were credible allegations from 11 women, including 1 adjutant who said the politician had groped her breast.

Cuomo and his governmental advisers assailed the study arsenic an unfair and inaccurate deed job, designed to thrust him retired of a occupation James coveted. But helium resigned from bureau successful August, saying the authorities couldn’t spend the distraction of an impeachment fight.

James dismissed the complaint that her probe was politically motivated, saying Cuomo should instrumentality work for his ain conduct.

James’ announcement volition acceptable the signifier for a competitory contention featuring Hochul warring to clasp the occupation she got erstwhile Cuomo quit, and a big of different imaginable candidates who could sap immoderate of the lawyer general’s imaginable downstate strength.

New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio person some said they are considering a run. Two different imaginable Democratic candidates travel from Long Island: Suffolk County enforcement Steve Bellone and U.S. Rep. Thomas Suozzi, who lives successful Nassau County.

Cuomo mightiness besides beryllium a origin successful the race. After leaving office, helium has dug into his run funds to wage the salaries of spokespeople and lawyers who person spent months blasting James’ integrity connected tv and connected societal media.

Republican candidates see U.S. Rep. Lee Zeldin, a Trump-aligned congressman from Long Island; Andrew Giuliani, the lad of erstwhile New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani; and erstwhile Westchester County Executive Rob Astorino, who mislaid to Cuomo successful 2014.

The superior predetermination is successful June and the wide predetermination is successful November 2022.

Before becoming lawyer general, James was New York City’s nationalist advocate, an elected occupation wherever she acted arsenic a benignant of metropolis ombudsman. Previously, she was a subordinate of the City Council. She worked arsenic a nationalist defender and an adjunct authorities lawyer general. She graduated from Lehman College successful the Bronx and earned her instrumentality grade from Howard University successful Washington.