Letitia James’ re-election cushion shrinks as little-known challenger starts turning heads

A new Siena University poll shows New York Attorney General Letitia James, a frequent target of President Donald Trump, still comfortably ahead of Republican challenger Saritha Komatireddy but with a smaller cushion than a month earlier. James now leads 52% to 39%, down five points from August, though the poll's roughly four-point margin of error means that shift should be read with some caution. Even so, the tightening stands out against a national picture in which Republicans are struggling in polling in several traditionally red states, making New York Republicans' steadier standing a relative bright spot for the party, according to Fox News.

In the governor's race, Republican Bruce Blakeman trails Democratic incumbent Kathy Hochul 50% to 41%, essentially unchanged from a 49%-39% split in August.

Komatireddy, a former federal prosecutor and Harvard Law School graduate, once clerked for Brett Kavanaugh before he joined the Supreme Court. Despite that background, two-thirds of likely New York voters say they know too little about her to form an opinion with the election just over a month away. A spokesperson for James's campaign pointed to her continued double-digit advantage as evidence of voter confidence in her record confronting "crime rings, corporations, and bad actors," adding that New Yorkers "know Attorney General James has and will continue to fight for them."

Summarized by PolitiKool from Fox News’s reporting. Read the full story at Fox News →