Public Advocate Letitia James Jumps Into the NY Attorney General Race

The New York State legislature is holding an "open interview" process this week for those hoping to serve as the interim Attorney General until the November election. 

Though several people have said they'd like to parlay the interim job into a run for the office in November, many are positioning themselves as ideal candidates precisely because they don't intend to serve in the job beyond the interim period.

The acting Attorney General, former Solicitor General Barbara Underwood, took over the post after Eric Schneiderman resigned amid allegations of assault against four women. Underwood has said she doesn't intend to run for the office, though she hopes to stay on as the interim AG.

As for those who've expressed interest in a November run, New York City Public Advocate Letitia James this week became the first Democrat to announce her intention, which was met with much fanfare.

Her announcement also "added great relief to people who want to be the next mayor of New York City, a position James was previously targeting," said Fred Mogul, WNYC's Albany reporter.

James also announced she's only seeking the Democratic nomination for AG and has no interest in running on the Working Families Party ballot line. The WFP is a left-leaning party that views itself as the liberal conscience of the Democrats in New York, but the two sides have increasingly been at war. Many of its union backers left after a falling-out in 2014, and more have fled this year, following the WFP's early endorsement of insurgent Cynthia Nixon over incumbent Andrew Cuomo.

James has been a long-time WFP supporter — she ran on their line when she first won a City Council seat — and her withdrawal from the party leaves it looking for an AG candidate to support at its candidate convention on Saturday.

On the Republican side, Rockland County Attorney Thomas Humbach and a New York City lawyer named Manny Alicandro have both announced their candidacy for Attorney General.

Mogul spoke with WNYC's Richard Hake about where things stand in the interim AG nominating process, and what to expect from the upcoming state party conventions.