Komatireddy Cuts James’s Lead To 13 Points But Faces Fundraising Gap

WASHINGTON, DC -Republican Saritha Komatireddy trails New York Attorney General Letitia James by 13 points in the latest public poll cited in the race, narrowing James’s lead from 18 points in August. However, Komatireddy continues to face a significant disadvantage in fundraising and name recognition as early voting approaches.

A Siena poll of likely voters conducted from September 11-17 put James at 52 per cent and Komatireddy at 39 per cent, compared with 54-36 in August. No newer public poll of the race has been found.

Komatireddy’s favorability stood at 17-12, and more than two-thirds of likely voters had either never heard of her or did not know enough about her to form an opinion.

James’s lead in New York City narrowed to 62-26 from 71-20 in August.

“Unless Komatireddy can find a way to get more known to likely voters in the next few weeks, it appears that James is in a strong position heading into the home stretch of the campaign,” Siena pollster Steven Greenberg said.

James had about $6.2 million in cash, including about $3.5 million in public matching funds, compared with about $323,000 for Komatireddy, according to state filings reported by the New York Law Journal on October 5.

Komatireddy’s state filings through July 11 listed Geetha Komatireddy as her top contributor, at $397,412, followed by the New York Republican State Committee at $50,000. Other donors who gave $18,000 each included Vivek Ramaswamy.

A super PAC is seeking to help close the financial gap. Strong and Safe New York, funded by Knicks owner James Dolan, retired casino mogul Steve Wynn and others, has announced a “seven-figure investment” for Komatireddy, including billboards in suburban areas, the New York Post reported.

“New York finally has a chance to restore safety and security by electing Saritha Komatireddy as the next Attorney General,” the group’s spokesperson Carson Steelman said.

A spokesperson for James’s campaign said, “Saritha Komatireddy is Donald Trump’s handpicked candidate, and now his deep-pocketed allies are bankrolling her campaign.”

The group’s state filings through July 11 showed no spending.

During their only debate, on Spectrum News NY1 on October 8, Komatireddy went on the attack.

“For the last eight years, you’ve had a political hack sitting in the chair using our taxpayer money for her political purposes,” she said.

She has since challenged James to more debates, but none has been scheduled.

Komatireddy, a former federal prosecutor and former chief of staff at the Drug Enforcement Administration, is endorsed by President Donald Trump. She also clerked for then-Judge Brett Kavanaugh.

New York has 6 million active registered Democrats compared with 2.8 million Republicans, and no Republican has won statewide since 2002.

Early voting runs from October 24 to November 1, ahead of the November 3 election, according to the state Board of Elections. (IANS)