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“Attorney General Letitia James has made a decision regarding the governor’s race," a spokesperson for the AG said in a statement. "She will be announcing it in the coming days.”
James would challenge incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul - who previously announced her intention to run in 2022 - Cuomo’s replacement, in the 2022 Democratic primary.
According to reports, James’ team has already started seeking early endorsements following months of debating whether or not to run for governor. Hochul has also furiously been fundraising in recent weeks at multiple high-profile events.
James would become the first challenger officially announce her candidacy for the Democratic primary, though New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams has filed paperwork and launched an “exploratory committee.”
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and US Rep. Tom Suozzi have also intimated that they could potentially run in what is expected to be a crowded primary next summer.
It also remains unclear what Cuomo's plans are in regards to another run.
According to a recently released poll, Hochul holds the early advantage over her potential Democratic primary challengers, including a 47 percent to 31 percent margin over just James.
Though the early numbers look good, pollsters caution that with this much time before the Democratic primary, things remain relatively unpredictable.
“Predicting June’s Democratic gubernatorial ballot 36 weeks away from primary day, four months before a state party convention with only Hochul declared is not for the faint-hearted,” Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg said.
“That said, Siena presented Democrats with three potential primary matchups and in each case, Hochul leads by double digits.
“But let’s repeat, we are 36 weeks away with an unknown field, and most potential candidates, being, like Hochul, largely unknown to a wide swath of voters.”
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