Tish James Announces Run For Attorney General

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS – Shortly after Public Advocate Letitia James announced that she would not seek the appointment of interim New York State District Attorney, rumors erupted about a potential run for the seat.

Today at the Brooklyn Historical Society, James officially announced her candidacy:

“So allow me to reintroduce myself. My name is Letitia “Tish” James, and I want to be your Attorney General for the great state of New York. #PeoplesLawyer

For those of you who know me, you know that I am not about privilege or politics. I’m about people. Whether you’re a teacher in Buffalo, a small business owner on Long Island, or a family-farm owner in Columbia County, I won’t stop working for you.

I will take on special interests who seek to destroy our families and our communities. I will take on ICE agents who seek to rip families apart. I will take on companies from Wall Street to Main Street who engage in unfair business practices that hurt hardworking New Yorkers.

I will fight tooth and nail every step of the way to defend the rights of every New Yorker – those from upstate, the Hudson Valley, Long Island and New York City.

We find ourselves in a precarious time in this country –our federal government is using the law as a tool to attack so many groups of people. But I will use the law to FIGHT BACK.

This commitment to using the powers of the law to move us forward will continue to be my driving force as AG, because New Yorkers deserve an AG who is unwavering in her fight to uphold and defend their most basic rights.

In these past four years specifically, I’ve used the powers of the law to take on unscrupulous landlords and to protect tenants, to ensure children with disabilities have the services they deserve, and to address the pervasive gender wage gap that holds too many women back.

I am proud of my record of uplifting hardworking people who deserve a fair shot, of ensuring that the powers of the law are used to move us ahead on a path of fairness, first as a public defender, then as an assistant attorney general, in the City Council, and as Public Advocate.

Throughout my entire career I have been fueled by this idea that the law is our most effective tool in our quest for progress. And I have used it in my work defending our most vulnerable communities.

Today I announce my candidacy for the Office of the Attorney General for the State of New York.”

The seat became vacant following former Attorney General Eric Schneiderman’s resignation amid accusations of sexual misconduct.

Other potential candidates include Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, Zephyr Teachout and Sen. Michael Gianaris according to the Daily News. According to reports, Republican gubernatorial candidate Marc Molinaro has asked former U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara to run on a joint ticket. Bharara is Democrat.