Daijiworld Media Network - New York
New York, Oct 24: Indian-American Republican Saritha Komatireddy, who is challenging New York Attorney General Letitia James, has received the endorsement of the New York Post editorial board as early voting in the state begins on Saturday.
“The Post enthusiastically endorses Saritha Komatireddy over Attorney General Letitia James,” the newspaper’s editorial board wrote on Friday.
The editorial described Komatireddy as a career prosecutor who had worked under administrations of both political parties to prosecute terrorists, cartel members, cybercriminals and other offenders. It said she was determined to use the full powers of the state attorney general’s office to tackle crime, fraud and corruption and make streets safer.
The editorial carried the headline describing James as a “political hack”. The newspaper also endorsed Republican Bruce Blakeman for governor and Congressman Mike Lawler in the 17th Congressional District.
Komatireddy, 41, told the Post that crime had affected her own family and close acquaintances in New York City.
“We’ve had a member of my family assaulted in the subway, taking my kids to school. We have a family friend who had a stray bullet come through her bedroom while she was sleeping,” she said.
“New Yorkers don’t feel safe, they feel less safe now than when Tish James began as attorney general and the reason is simple: They are less safe now,” she said, accusing James of failing to perform her duties.
The editorial also quoted James as saying that the attorney general’s job was “focused on civil matters and not criminal matters”.
Komatireddy previously served as a federal prosecutor in the Eastern District of New York in Brooklyn, handling cases involving international terrorism, cybercrime, narcotics trafficking, money laundering and public corruption, according to the Post.
She shared the newspaper’s endorsement on X and also posted a new campaign advertisement on homelessness on Friday.
Her campaign has been highlighting an internal poll conducted by OnMessage Inc., which was first reported by the Post on October 18. The survey showed James leading Komatireddy by 50.7 per cent to 44.7 per cent.
The pollster surveyed 1,000 likely voters between October 12 and 14. Among the one in five respondents who watched the candidates’ October 8 debate, Komatireddy led James by 81 per cent to 19 per cent, the survey found. A Siena poll conducted last month had shown James ahead by 13 percentage points.
The James campaign dismissed the findings of the OnMessage poll.
“Saritha Komatireddy wouldn’t protect New Yorkers from fraudsters or the federal government, because they’re the ones propping up her candidacy,” a spokeswoman for James’ campaign told the Post. “Trump endorsed her, and she’d repay him by looking the other way while he sows chaos in New York.”
James, a Democrat, was first elected New York attorney general in 2018 and secured a second term in 2022. She attracted national attention through her civil fraud case against US President Donald Trump and his company.
Early voting in New York runs from October 24 to November 1, while the general election is scheduled for November 3.