Early voting ends Sunday across New York. As candidates made their final push to get out the vote, public safety and the scope of the attorney general’s power sat at the center of the race between Democratic incumbent Letitia James and Republican Saritha Komatireddy, a former federal prosecutor.
In an interview earlier this month, Komatireddy told WAER that state leadership had lost its grip on law and order. Her chief focus if elected as New York’s next Attorney General would be to toughen how New York handles violent criminals.
“I would take on the bail laws on day one” but would not repeal them. “We don’t have to repeal the whole thing,” she said. “The purpose is to make sure you put someone in prison because they’re dangerous. So, let’s just write the law that way.”
The Legislature writes bail law. Lawmakers passed the current framework in 2019 and amended it three times since.
James defended her record. “We did amend the law. It’s unfortunate that my opponent doesn’t recognize that we’re at record low levels of crime at this point in time.”
State data showed shootings with injuries reached their lowest level since the state began counting in 2006. Overall reported crime in 2024 remained 26% above 2019, the lowest year on record.
Komatireddy, who has spent her career as a high-profile federal prosecutor and more recently as chief of staff of the Drug Enforcement Administration sees the attorney general playing a stronger role in curbing violent crime.
“The attorney general is the chief law enforcement officer of the state. The DAs are at the front lines of criminal law enforcement in your county. That is their job,” she said.
The attorney general’s office oversees the Organized Crime Task Force and the Medicaid Fraud Control Unit. It also runs bureaus covering consumer fraud, investor protection, charities, civil rights and the environment.
James described the job in her own terms.
“Under our Constitution and state law, the Office of the Attorney General, first and foremost, is the state’s attorney. So, I defend the state of New York,” she said.
The office can also file its own lawsuits with the legislature’s blessings. For instance, “I got the authority to pursue [deed thefts] criminally,” which protected homeowners, she maintained, “so that you will not lose your home and that the statute of limitations is expanded and that the individual who, in fact, engaged in the theft of your home is incarcerated.”
The AG’s office also pursues crimes in the public interest. While serving as New York’s AG, James successfully prosecuted opioid manufacturers and distributors responsible for the drug addiction epidemic.
“We also sued and filed the most extensive and comprehensive case against Purdue Pharma, resulting in $3.3 billion to the state of New York to address the harms caused by opioids,” she said.
“Right now, that money’s being wasted,”
Komatireddy chided. They’ve only spent a portion of it,” she said. If she oversaw those funds, she continued, “I would take it and use it to build residential treatment centers around the state, small 100 beds or less.”
James said it’s not that simple and explained that her opponent cannot create a new crime unit on her own. “It requires jurisdiction. It requires resources. It requires the approval of the governor and the legislature,” she said.
Komatireddy said the office already had that authority for organized crime and fraud, including Medicaid fraud. “That’s actually the job of the AG, it’s not something that we would be doing that’s extra,” she said.
As for cracking down on violent criminals, Komatireddy conceited that most of those cases are under the district and county attorneys’ purview but added that the attorney general could play a stronger role backing regional law enforcement.
“What the attorney general can do and should do,” she said, “is set the tone, provide resources, and step in, offer help or override and help when needed.”
Asked about Komatireddy’s qualifications, James said: “I think she’s very smart, and that’s why she should run for DA.”
Early voting runs through Sunday, Nov. 1. Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 3. Complete voter guides are available at WAER.org.
