NY AG race focuses on antisemitism response

New York voters will decide the next attorney general on Tuesday, with the campaign focused on how the state handles antisemitic crimes. Republican challenger Saritha Komatireddy has accused Democratic incumbent Letitia James of failing to act decisively against rising hate crimes. James, who has held the office since 2019, maintains that her administration has consistently supported Jewish New Yorkers.

Komatireddy spent more than a decade as a federal prosecutor in New York before entering the race. She argues that the current approach by district attorneys is insufficient to stop the increase in antisemitic incidents. James oversees a staff of more than 700 lawyers who conduct criminal and civil investigations across the state.

The challenger has proposed declaring a state of emergency on antisemitism if she wins. She intends to use a law that allows the attorney general to prosecute hate crimes when a district attorney is ineffective. Komatireddy also plans to use existing civil rights laws to create buffer zones outside Jewish schools and synagogues.

James has rejected the criticism, stating that only the governor has the authority to declare a state of emergency. Her campaign points to specific actions taken to support Jewish communities in the state. Mark Treyger, chief executive of the Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, cited James’s response to the anti-Israel backlash against Tsion Cafe in Harlem.

Treyger noted that James changed her statewide schedule to support the cafe’s Ethiopian-Israeli owner. He said she personally followed up after offering help. Last week, outgoing US Representative Jerry Nadler and City Council Speaker Julie Menin, along with six other Jewish Democratic officials, endorsed James at a press conference.

Manhattan Borough President Brad Hoylman-Sigal pointed to James’s efforts against housing discrimination affecting Hasidic families in Orange County. He also mentioned a Rockland County car wash that overcharged Orthodox Jews. The Crown Heights United PAC endorsed James last month. James previously represented parts of the Crown Heights neighborhood on the City Council.

Komatireddy holds the endorsement of President Donald Trump. She is seeking to become New York’s first Republican elected attorney general in more than 30 years. Moshe Davis, who led the mayor’s office to combat antisemitism under Eric Adams, predicted her message could draw Jewish voters away from James. Davis described James as a longstanding friend of Jewish New Yorkers.

A Siena poll conducted last month showed James leading by 54% to 39%. The poll found a six-point advantage for James in the New York City suburbs. Rabbi Elie Weinstock of Long Island’s Jewish Center of Atlantic Beach told the Jewish Telegraphic Agency that unease about antisemitic incidents is shaping voter concerns. He suggested that opposition to Mayor Zohran Mamdani could steer some Jewish voters toward Komatireddy.

Some campaign appearances have required clarification from both sides. Rabbi Elliot Cosgrove of Park Avenue Synagogue told JTA that his visit to Komatireddy occurred in winter or spring and was not an endorsement. Komatireddy said she deleted a post featuring members of a Black Hebrew Israelite church after learning who they were. Binyamin Krauss, principal of the Bronx Jewish school SAR Academy, disputed Komatireddy’s characterization of James. Krauss cited James’s support after two men were stabbed on the Upper West Side over the summer.