Letitia James Set To Announce Run For Governor, Jumaane Williams Files Paperwork To Run

Letitia James, New York’s First Black Attorney General has her sights set on the Governor’s seat and is set to announce her intentions in the coming days, Kimberly Peeler-Allen, a senior advisor for James’ campaign, told NBC News.

James has been in the New York spotlight the last year. In addition to joining the criminal inquiry into the Trump Organization, James led the sexual harassment investigation into former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who James also caught undercounting COVID-19 deaths at the height of the pandemic by as much as 50%.

In order to run, James will have to resign from the Trump investigation, which she has been the face of for more than a year. Manhattan Attorney General Cy Vance, who partnered with Vance on the Trump investigation, is stepping down at the end of the year, meaning the inquiry will have new faces.

Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, who took over for Cuomo, has already announced her intention to run for governor.

James has widely been regarded as one of the strongest potential challengers to Hochul. However, Hochul, he former Lt. Gov. has gotten a head start building a solid foundation and picking up top donors in the state since she took over for Cuomo.

New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams officially threw his hat into the race Wednesday filing paperwork to enter the race, according to The Hill.

Williams, who previously served as a city councilman for a decade, gained popularity during Mayor Bill de Blasio Administration. Williams opposed several moves by De Blasio including his plan for mental health calls, not visiting Rikers Island until pressured and last summer’s Black Lives Matter protests.

A recent Siena poll found Hochul with a healthy lead (39 percent) in a hypothetical four-way primary that included James (20 percent), de Blasio (10 percent), and Williams (8 percent). However, pollsters say it’s way too early to declare a favorite.