New York Attorney General Letitia James announced that she is suspending her campaign for governor just six weeks after announcing her bid.
“I have come to the conclusion that I must continue my work as attorney general,” James told reporters. “There are a number of important investigations and cases that are underway, and I intend to finish the job.”
Instead, James is running for reelection as attorney general.
James would have become the first Black female governor in the nation’s history.
James would also have faced off against Gov. Kathy Hochul, another Democrat. However, according to The New York Times, recent opinion polls showed that James was trailing behind Hochul by double digits among Democratic primary voters.
“I have come to the conclusion that I must continue my work as attorney general,” James wrote in a statement. “There are a number of important investigations and cases that are underway, and I intend to finish the job.”
Former Governor Andrew Cuomo was forced to step down after James’ probe concluded he had sexually harassed nearly a dozen women, including current and former staffers.
“This is a sad day for New York because independent investigators have concluded that Governor Cuomo sexually harassed multiple women and, in doing so, broke the law,” said James at a news conference at the time. “I am grateful to all the women who came forward to tell their stories in painstaking detail, enabling investigators to get to the truth. No man — no matter how powerful — can be allowed to harass women or violate our human rights laws, period.”
This week, reports surfaced that James is seeking to question former President Donald J. Trump under oath in a civil fraud investigation. James is looking into whether widespread fraud “permeated the Trump Organization.”
