Saritha Komatireddy is getting a major-league endorsement.
The Republican candidate for New York attorney general scored a high-profile boost Monday when former Yankees All-Star Mark “Tex” Teixeira announced his support.
Teixeira, now pursuing a Republican congressional seat in Texas, played switch-hitting first base for the Yankees’ 2009 championship squad—the most recent New York team to capture a World Series title.
“Hey, New Yorkers, Mark Teixeira here. I’m supporting Saritha Komatireddy to be the next attorney general of the State of New York,” Teixeira, the GOP nominee in Texas’ 21st House District, said in a video endorsement.
“New York needs an attorney general who will put public safety over politics and make sure New York State is one of the most prosperous, best places to live in the country,” Teixeira said.
“So please vote for Saritha Komatireddy. God bless you, and God bless America.”
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Komatireddy, 42, a former federal prosecutor challenging two-term Democratic Attorney General Letitia James, welcomed the endorsement.
“Mark Teixeira spent eight seasons in pinstripes, and he knows what this city is when it works: safe walking, a subway people aren’t afraid to ride, neighborhoods where families stay,” Komatireddy said.
“He’s right that public safety has to come before politics. For seven years, Letitia James has had it backwards. I’m grateful for Mark’s support, and I’ll do what he did at first base: show up every day and get the job done well.”
Teixeira spent most of his 15-year Major League Baseball career with the Yankees, following earlier stops with the Texas Rangers, Atlanta Braves and Los Angeles Angels.
Known for his defensive skill and power at first base, Teixeira collected five Gold Glove awards, three Silver Slugger honors and three All-Star selections. He was also named Rookie of the Year in 2003.
In the Yankees’ 2009 championship season, Teixeira launched 39 home runs and finished with 122 RBIs.
A spokesperson for the James campaign responded, “Why isn’t she touting her maxed out contribution from Ohio tennis extraordinaire Vivek Ramaswamy?” The remark referenced Ramaswamy, the Republican candidate for Ohio governor.
