The New York attorney general’s race is tightening, as Democratic incumbent Letitia James’ advantage over Republican challenger Saritha Komatireddy has narrowed by five points, according to a new poll released Wednesday.
James, 67, leads Komatireddy, a former federal prosecutor, 52% to 39%, according to the Siena University survey.
That represents a decline from James’ 18-point advantage in Siena’s August poll, when she led 54% to 36%.
Komatireddy, 42, faces a major hurdle: Two-thirds of likely voters either have not heard of her or do not know enough about her to form an opinion, Siena pollster Steven Greenberg said.
“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,” Greenberg said.
James, who has served as state attorney general since 2019, is seeking a third term. Before becoming attorney general, she was New York City’s public advocate and a Brooklyn councilwoman.
Komatireddy has mounted an aggressive campaign, including outreach to families of crime victims.
Migdalia Martinez, a grieving Bronx mother whose 12-year-old son, Jacob, was killed by a stray bullet in July, endorsed Komatireddy in a new campaign advertisement.
The Republican hopeful also held a news conference Tuesday outside the Intrepid Museum, where she promised to crack down on homeless encampments and remove people with mental illness from the streets.
As a federal prosecutor in Brooklyn’s Eastern District of New York, Komatireddy handled several high-profile cases involving international terrorism, cybercrime, narcotics trafficking, money laundering and public corruption.
James, meanwhile, continues to draw national attention. On Tuesday, she filed another lawsuit against the Trump administration, alleging that it provided energy companies with $1.4 billion to cancel four critical offshore wind projects.
She has also gained nationwide prominence through her prosecution of President Trump and his namesake company over alleged fraudulent practices.
James also commissioned a sexual misconduct investigation into former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, leading to the Democrat’s resignation in 2021. Cuomo denied wrongdoing.
In the state comptroller’s race, Democratic incumbent Tom DiNapoli, who has held the office since 2007, leads Republican challenger Joseph Hernandez 56% to 33%.
The Siena University Poll surveyed 1,144 likely voters from September 11 to 17 by mobile phone, landline and text. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points.
