New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Friday that she will run for governor.
The 63-year-old Democrat will face off in the primary election against Gov. Kathy Hochul, who is also a Democrat. Ms. Hochul has vowed to seek election after assuming office following the resignation of scandal-plagued former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
Mr. Cuomo stepped down in August after Ms. James released the results of an investigation that found he had sexually harassed 11 women, many of whom were his own staffers or state employees. He was charged on Thursday with a misdemeanor sex crime complaint for allegedly forcibly touching a woman in the governor’s executive mansion last year.
Last winter, she released a scattering report finding that Mr. Cuomo and the New York health department had massively undercounted the number of COVID-19 nursing home deaths in the state.
In announcing her bid, Ms. James tweeted that she has “the experience, vision, and courage to take on the powerful on behalf of all New Yorkers.”
She has served as attorney general since 2019. Prior to taking on the role as the state’s top prosecutor, she was the New York City Public Advocate.
Ms. James also has served as a member of the City Council and worked as a public defender and an assistant state attorney general. She received a law degree from Howard University in Washington after graduating from Lehman College in the Bronx.
If elected, Ms. James would be the country’s first Black woman to serve as governor.
• Emily Zantow can be reached at ezantow@washingtontimes.com.
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