Republican attorney general candidate Saritha Komatireddy is closing the gap with Democratic incumbent Letitia James, according to a new Republican-commissioned poll released after the candidates’ October 8 debate.
The New York Post’s October 18 report said an OnMessage Inc. survey found James leading Komatireddy by six percentage points, 50.7% to 44.7%.
The survey of 1,000 likely voters was conducted October 12-14 and had a reported margin of error of 2.8 percentage points.
The poll found that 81% of respondents who watched the candidates’ debate favored Komatireddy’s performance, compared with 19% for James. It also showed Komatireddy leading among independent voters, 49% to 43%.
Komatireddy, a former federal prosecutor, has made public safety and the priorities of the attorney general’s office central to her campaign. She has accused James of focusing too heavily on high-profile political battles, including lawsuits against President Donald Trump, instead of addressing crime and corruption affecting New Yorkers.
James has defended her record, pointing to consumer protection efforts and legal actions she argues are part of the attorney general’s responsibilities. Her campaign has also accused Komatireddy of being too closely aligned with Trump.
The poll showed James maintaining a commanding lead in New York City, while Komatireddy performed better on Long Island, in the broader downstate suburbs and upstate.
Those regional differences underscore the challenge facing both candidates. James needs to maintain her strong urban support, while Komatireddy must expand her coalition beyond the Republican base to overcome the state’s Democratic advantage.
The poll also gives Komatireddy an opportunity to make James’ record a central issue in the final weeks of the campaign. By focusing on public safety and the attorney general’s use of the office, Komatireddy is seeking to appeal to voters who believe state leaders should prioritize crime, affordability and accountability over partisan political battles.
With Election Day approaching, Komatireddy is seeking to turn her debate performance and criticism of James into a broader argument for changing the leadership of the state’s top law enforcement office.
