Letitia James holds a lead over Saritha Komatireddy in the New York AG race, but it is shrinking. A Siena University poll released Wednesday shows James at 52% and Komatireddy at 39%, down from 54% to 36% in an August poll also conducted by Siena.
The September poll, taken September 11-17 among 1,144 likely voters, carries a margin of error of plus or minus 3.9 percentage points. The drop follows a tight race for a state office where the incumbent has a proven track record and the challenger has a serious recognition problem.
Komatireddy’s Name Problem
Two-thirds of likely voters have never heard of Komatireddy or don’t know enough to have an opinion, according to Siena pollster Steven Greenberg. That is the central fact of the race right now, and it is not a small gap to close.
Greenberg was blunt about what it means. “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,” he said.
That is a narrow window for a candidate whose name remains unknown to most of the people who will decide the race.
What Komatireddy Has Done
Komatireddy, 42, served as a federal prosecutor in Brooklyn’s Eastern District of New York. Her cases there involved international terrorism, cybercrime, narcotics trafficking, money laundering, and public corruption.
She has also vowed to crack down on homeless encampments and get the mentally ill off the streets. She made that vow at a press conference Tuesday outside the Intrepid Museum.
Her campaign also got a new endorsement this week. Migdalia Martinez, a grieving Bronx mom whose 12-year-old son Jacob was killed by a stray bullet in July, has appeared in a new ad backing Komatireddy.
That endorsement gives Komatireddy a human face and a specific issue.
James’s Record
Letitia James, 67, has been the state AG since 2019 and is seeking a third term. She previously served as New York City public advocate and a Brooklyn councilwoman.
James has a long record of high-profile prosecutions. She filed a lawsuit Tuesday against the Trump administration for allegedly providing energy companies $1.4 billion in funds to cancel four critical offshore wind projects.
The case remains unresolved, and no further action has been announced.
She also prosecuted Trump and his namesake company for fraudulent practices. She commissioned a sexual misconduct probe of ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo that triggered his resignation in 2021.
The Race’s Shape
- James leads 52% to 39% in the September poll.
- James led 54% to 36% in the August poll.
- Two-thirds of likely voters don’t know Komatireddy.
- Komatireddy needs to raise recognition in the next few weeks.
The race is moving quickly. Komatireddy has time to move, but the direction of the recognition gap is not encouraging.
What Komatireddy Needs to Do
Komatireddy has to get her name known. That means finding ways to reach likely voters directly.
The endorsement from Migdalia Martinez helps, but it is one endorsement. Komatireddy’s campaign has been working with the recognition gap for months.
The Siena polls will track the gap as it narrows or grows. For Komatireddy, the next few weeks are the time to close it.
Where the paper stands
The paper backs neither candidate by name and is against treating the race as a contest between two machines gathering power, instead judging each side against its north star of individual freedom, small business, and avoiding concentrations of power. In this race, the central fact is not a policy position but a recognition gap: two-thirds of likely voters have never heard of Komatireddy or don’t know enough to have an opinion. That gap is not a small one to close.
The position’s focus on individual freedom and avoiding concentrations of power does not directly settle who should win this race. But the paper’s method—judging candidates issue by issue—points clearly toward the recognition problem as the central question. Komatireddy has a serious problem getting known, and the poll data show that problem directly. The paper’s method is to judge by substance, not by machine, and in this case the substance is a gap in the electorate’s attention.
The Siena polls will track the recognition gap as it narrows or grows. Komatireddy has time to move, but the direction of the gap is not encouraging. The paper will continue to judge both sides against its north star, without joining either machine.
Source material: “Letitia James’ lead over GOP rival Saritha Komatireddy shrinks in NY AG race: poll,” the New York Post.
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