Attorney General of New York · Election November 3, 2026 · Updated
Who should I vote for in the New York attorney general race?
Letitia James has the strongest record in the New York attorney general race. Letitia James scores 65 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 9, 2026. Letitia James's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Saritha Komatireddy (7 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Democratic · incumbent
Strongest record
Letitia James
On the ballot as Letitia A. James
65 / 100
Public evidence on 12 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 80
- Performance
- 63
Republican
Saritha Komatireddy
Not enough public record for a score
Public evidence on 7 of 15 criteria
- Character
- 50
- Qualifications
- 75
- Performance
- NR
The good, the bad and the unresolved
The record
The notable facts of each candidate's public life, each tied to a source and confirmed to be this person. Unresolved matters are labeled with where they stand and do not move a score.
Letitia James
- Mark against2008-05-08
The New York City Campaign Finance Board fined her 2005 City Council campaign $5,700, including $5,000 for failing to provide requested expenditure documentation; her attorney said they chose not to contest it.
Sources: NYC Campaign Finance Board, Board determinations and penalties (NYC Open Data), Brooklyn Paper, May 28, 2008
- Unresolved2025-10
Indicted in October 2025 on federal bank fraud and false statement charges over a Norfolk, Va., home; a judge dismissed the case in November 2025, ruling the prosecutor unlawfully appointed.
Where it stands: Dismissed Nov. 2025; grand juries declined to re-indict in Dec. 2025; the Justice Department appeal was set for Fourth Circuit argument Sept. 15, 2026, with no ruling found as of 2026-10-09. She denies wrongdoing.
Sources: WCAX (AP), Dec. 4, 2025, Washington Examiner, July 17, 2026
- On the record2025-08
In her civil fraud case against Donald Trump, the Appellate Division upheld the fraud finding but voided the roughly $500 million penalty as an excessive fine.
Source: FOX 9 (AP), Aug. 2025
- Credit2021-08-03
Her office released a report finding that Gov. Andrew Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women in violation of federal and state law; Cuomo resigned later that month.
Sources: CNBC, Aug. 3, 2021, Queens Eagle, Aug. 3, 2021
- Credit2021-07-20
Announced a $1.1 billion settlement with opioid distributors for New York.
Saritha Komatireddy
- On the record2026-09-10
Asked on Spectrum News who won the 2020 presidential election, said it was Biden, citing the constitutional and legal process for determining the president.
Source: Spectrum News, Sept. 10, 2026
- On the record2021-01-03
Her nomination to the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York was returned to the president when the Senate adjourned without a vote.
Source: Ballotpedia, Saritha Komatireddy
- Credit2020
The American Bar Association rated her well qualified (majority) and qualified (minority) for a federal district judgeship after her May 2020 nomination.
Source: Ballotpedia, Saritha Komatireddy
Who they are
Character
Integrity
Tells the truth, keeps their word, and takes no private gain from public office.
Letitia James. No ethics commission, court or campaign finance finding naming her was found. A 2025 federal mortgage fraud indictment was dismissed, and two grand juries declined to re-indict; the government's appeal is pending (see Record).
Source: WCAX (AP), Dec. 4, 2025
Saritha Komatireddy. No public record found.
Courage
Takes a stand that costs them something, including telling their own side no.
Letitia James. Her office's 2021 investigation found that Gov. Andrew Cuomo, a fellow Democrat, sexually harassed multiple women in violation of federal and state law.
Sources: CNBC, Aug. 3, 2021, Queens Eagle, Aug. 3, 2021
Saritha Komatireddy. No public record found.
Accountability
Owns mistakes, answers hard questions, and works in the open.
Letitia James. Agreed to the Oct. 8, 2026 Spectrum News debate with Saritha Komatireddy and took questions on Spectrum's Capital Tonight on Sept. 30, 2026.
Sources: Spectrum News, Sept. 22, 2026, Spectrum News, Sept. 30, 2026
Saritha Komatireddy. Accepted the Oct. 8, 2026 Spectrum News debate and took residents' questions at the Howard Beach-Lindenwood Civic Association on Sept. 29, 2026.
Temperament and judgment
Steady under pressure, decides on evidence, and treats opponents and staff with respect.
Letitia James. New York City Council member, public advocate and attorney general since 2019 with no formal censure, reprimand or conduct finding found.
Source: Ballotpedia, Letitia James
Saritha Komatireddy. Federal prosecutor in the Eastern District of New York and chief of staff at the Drug Enforcement Administration with no formal conduct finding found.
Source: Spectrum News NY1, Aug. 5, 2026
Fidelity to the oath
Uses power inside its limits: accepts certified results, obeys court rulings, follows the rules of the office.
Letitia James. Sworn attorney general since 2019 and earlier city offices; no official finding of misuse of office and no action to reject certified results found. The 2025 federal indictment was dismissed (see Record).
Source: Ballotpedia, Letitia James
Saritha Komatireddy. Served as an assistant U.S. attorney (federal civil service, E10) with no official finding of misuse of office.
Source: Ballotpedia, Saritha Komatireddy
What they bring
Qualifications
Relevant experience
Has done work that prepares them for this specific office.
Letitia James. Attorney general of New York since Jan. 1, 2019, now completing her second term; earlier New York City public advocate 2014 to 2018 and City Council member 2004 to 2013.
Source: Ballotpedia, Letitia James
Saritha Komatireddy. Federal prosecutor in the Eastern District of New York from 2013, later Drug Enforcement Administration chief of staff; nominated to the federal district court in 2020. Has not held elected office.
Sources: Spectrum News NY1, Aug. 5, 2026, Ballotpedia, Saritha Komatireddy
Command of the job
Knows the issues and knows what the office can and cannot do.
Letitia James. Sitting attorney general in her second term. Describes the office's civil focus and criminal referral limits in public answers on the campaign.
Sources: Spectrum News, Sept. 30, 2026, Ballotpedia, Letitia James
Saritha Komatireddy. Proposes an Office of Civil Commitment inside the attorney general's office for people with severe mental illness, and Medicaid fraud enforcement.
Sources: Spectrum News, Sept. 30, 2026, Spectrum News NY1, Aug. 5, 2026
Communication
Explains plainly, persuades, and listens.
Letitia James. Two channels documented: the Oct. 8 televised debate and a Capital Tonight interview. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey.
Sources: Spectrum News, Sept. 22, 2026, Spectrum News, Sept. 30, 2026, Ballotpedia, Letitia James
Saritha Komatireddy. Three channels documented: the Oct. 8 televised debate, a civic association candidates night with questions, and campaign issue statements. Has not completed Ballotpedia's 2026 Candidate Connection survey.
Sources: Spectrum News, Sept. 22, 2026, QNS, Oct. 1, 2026, Campaign site, Ballotpedia, Saritha Komatireddy
Roots in the constituency
Lives there, knows the people, and is funded by them.
Letitia James. Born and raised in Brooklyn and has held New York City and state office since 2004. In-state share of contributions was not computed from state filings.
Sources: Wikipedia, Letitia James, Ballotpedia, Letitia James
Saritha Komatireddy. Born in Brooklyn to immigrant parents and lives on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. In-state share of contributions was not computed from state filings.
Source: Spectrum News NY1, Aug. 5, 2026
Management
Can build and run an organization.
Letitia James. Has headed the state Department of Law since 2019. No Board of Elections or ethics commission enforcement action naming her campaign was found.
Source: Ballotpedia, Letitia James
Saritha Komatireddy. No public record found.
What they deliver
Performance
Results
Turns ideas into outcomes.
Letitia James. Her office won a civil fraud judgment against Donald Trump whose liability finding the Appellate Division upheld in 2025 while voiding the penalty, and reached a $1.1 billion opioid distributor settlement in 2021.
Sources: FOX 9 (AP), Aug. 2025, Olean Times Herald (Times Union), July 20, 2021
Saritha Komatireddy. No public record found.
Showing up
Does the basic work of the job.
Letitia James. No public record found.
Saritha Komatireddy. No public record found.
Constituent service
Solves problems for the people they represent.
Letitia James. No public record found.
Saritha Komatireddy. No public record found.
Coalition building
Wins support beyond their own faction.
Letitia James. Her office led a bipartisan coalition of states that reached a $7.4 billion settlement in principle with Purdue Pharma and the Sackler family in January 2025.
Source: Office of the New York Attorney General, Jan. 23, 2025
Saritha Komatireddy. No public record found.
Stewardship of public money
Treats tax dollars as someone else's money.
Letitia James. No public record found.
Saritha Komatireddy. No public record found.
How to read this
Each criterion is scored 0 to 4 against the written rubric in the Ballot Standard. NR means no record: there is no reliable public evidence either way, so the criterion is left out and never counts against the candidate. A total is published when at least 8 of 15 criteria have evidence.
A sitting officeholder has a longer public record than a first-time candidate, so the two totals rest on different amounts of evidence. Read the count of criteria beside each score. Low marks require an official finding or a primary record. Allegations and opinion are not used.
No policy position is scored. Evidence checked October 9, 2026. Campaigns and readers can send a correction with a public source to tpg@thepoliticalgroup.com.
Questions
Who should I vote for in the New York attorney general race?
Letitia James has the strongest record in the New York attorney general race. Letitia James scores 65 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, as of October 9, 2026. Letitia James's highest marks are relevant experience and command of the job. Saritha Komatireddy (7 of 15 criteria) has too little public record to score. Every score comes from public records on character, qualifications and performance, the same way for every party.
Who is running in the New York attorney general race in 2026?
Letitia James (Democratic, incumbent), Saritha Komatireddy (Republican). The general election is November 3, 2026.
Is Letitia James a good candidate for Attorney General?
Letitia James scores 65 out of 100 on the Ballot Standard, with public evidence on 12 of 15 criteria: character 50 of 100, qualifications 80 of 100, performance 63 of 100. The standard measures character, qualifications and performance, not policy positions.
Is Saritha Komatireddy a good candidate for Attorney General?
Saritha Komatireddy has public evidence on 7 of the 15 Ballot Standard criteria, short of the 8 needed for a score. The evidence that exists is shown on the scorecard. No record never counts against a candidate.
How is the strongest record decided?
The candidate with the highest Ballot Standard score has the strongest record. Each of 15 criteria on character, qualifications and performance is scored 0 to 4 from public records and established reporting, the same way for every party. No policy position is scored, and unresolved accusations never move a score.
More on this race: every New York race scored, and the New York 2026 election guide. Independent scorecard by The Political Group, not affiliated with any candidate or party.