New York Attorney General Letitia James suspended her campaign for Governor on Thursday, saying she wanted to “finish the job” amid several pending investigations.
James, a Democrat, announced her bid to run for governor in late October, just two months after finalizing the sexual harassment investigation she conducted, leading former Gov. Andrew Cuomo to resign. She and Gov. Kathy Hochul were expected to make history as both women would go head-to-head in the Democratic gubernatorial nomination.
But, according to Spectrum News 1, no major party has ever endorsed a woman to become governor in NY.
“I have come to the conclusion that I must continue my work as attorney general,” James, a Democrat, said in a statement. “There are a number of important investigations and cases that are underway, and I intend to finish the job. I am running for re-election to complete the work New Yorkers elected me to do.”
James, 63, is the first black woman elected as New York’s attorney general and the first black person to serve in the role.
James concluded her campaign run on the same day it was reported that she was looking question former President Trump under oath in a civil fraud investigation into his business affiliations. A source familiar with the case but could not speak publicly, opting to use anonymity, told the Associated Press that James’ office requested Trump to provide testimony from Jan. 7, The Grio reported.
Though James’ office declined to comment on the matter, the attorney general has spent the past two years delving into Trump’s organization and whether it misled banks or tax officials about the value of assets.
Earlier on Thursday, James’ office canceled a planned event on Long Island.
Since she secured her role as attorney general in 2019, James’ office filed dozens of lawsuits against the Trump administration over federal policies on immigration, the environment, and other matters.
James also filed a lawsuit accusing National Rifle Association leaders of financial mismanagement – seeking to shut down the gun-rights organization – and has secured hundreds of millions of dollars in settlements from companies involved in the opioid industry, AP News reported.
While James initially decided to run for governor so soon after Cuomo’s resignation. She dismissed rumors that her decision was politically motivated, an assumption many of his allies believed to be accurate.
As governor, Cuomo endorsed James for attorney general and headlined a fundraiser for her in 2018. The Brooklyn native ran in a four-way Democratic primary to replace Eric Schneiderman, who surprisingly resigned based on allegations that he abused women.
Both the governor’s office and the attorney general’s office are on the ballot in 2022.
