VoterLens
Attorney General of New York
Lehman College—B.A.; Howard University School of Law—J.D.
Data last updated 10/16/2026
Letitia James is the 67th Attorney General of New York, first elected in 2018 and serving since 2019. Before becoming Attorney General, she served as New York City Public Advocate and represented Brooklyn's 35th Council District on the New York City Council; earlier, she headed the Brooklyn Regional Office of the New York State Attorney General's Office and began her career as a public defender at the Legal Aid Society.
Committee Assignments: No committee assignments available.
Letitia James supports protecting and expanding access to health care, including Affordable Care Act coverage, Medicaid-linked public health programs, and gender-affirming care. As New York Attorney General, she has repeatedly used multistate litigation to oppose federal actions she says would reduce coverage, threaten health funding, or restrict lawful medical care.
Specific Actions & Proposals
James supported continued access to gender-affirming health care and announced a court win preventing HHS from threatening providers over lawful care for transgender young people.
SourceJames led a multistate lawsuit to stop federal efforts she said intimidated providers into halting medically necessary gender-affirming care for people under 19 in states where the care is legal.
SourceJames joined 20 states in challenging an HHS/CMS rule she said would strip health coverage from millions, raise costs, and remove gender-affirming care from ACA essential health benefits.
SourceJames led a coalition lawsuit challenging HHS restructuring and cuts that she said endangered Medicaid-related services, mental health and substance-use programs, maternal health, infectious disease labs, and the World Trade Center Health Program.
SourceJames led a coalition lawsuit against HHS conditions that she said threatened health care, research, immunization, maternal and infant health, HIV prevention, substance-use, and mental-health funding unless states adopted discriminatory mandates.
SourceLetitia James frames her Economy & Jobs agenda around lowering costs for working families, protecting wages and unemployment benefits, preserving good-paying jobs, and enforcing consumer and labor protections as New York Attorney General. Her recent actions include wage-theft enforcement, defending unemployment-insurance modernization funds, challenging federal cuts to energy and infrastructure projects, and supporting clean-energy projects she says would create jobs and reduce utility costs.
Specific Actions & Proposals
James joined a coalition lawsuit challenging the Trump administration's cancellation of grants intended to improve state unemployment insurance systems for workers who lose jobs.
SourceJames secured $440,000 from Denny's franchise owners for more than 1,900 Western New York workers allegedly denied required spread-of-hours wages.
SourceJames and Governor Hochul announced litigation over cancellation of an offshore wind lease that they said would have brought more than 1,700 jobs and billions in economic benefits to New York.
SourceJames joined a multistate lawsuit challenging termination of energy and infrastructure funds, arguing the cuts threatened jobs, utility-bill relief, and grid reliability.
SourceJames filed a lawsuit alleging UPS underpaid thousands of seasonal delivery workers through off-the-clock work, inaccurate timekeeping, and other wage-law violations.
SourceLetitia James supports immigrant-protective policies and has used the New York Attorney General’s office to challenge federal immigration actions, defend sanctuary-style local laws, protect birthright citizenship, and limit state/local participation in civil immigration enforcement. Her actions emphasize protecting immigrant communities, preserving access to public benefits, and resisting federal policies she characterizes as unlawful or intimidating.
Specific Actions & Proposals
James supported birthright citizenship and highlighted her coalition’s lawsuit and Supreme Court advocacy opposing an executive order that sought to deny citizenship to children born in the United States.
SourceJames filed an amicus brief supporting New York City laws limiting local involvement in federal civil immigration enforcement and urged dismissal of the DOJ challenge to those laws.
SourceJames and Governor Hochul announced that the new Office of Immigrant Trust sent letters requiring 12 local law enforcement agencies to unwind ICE 287(g) agreements under New York law.
SourceJames helped restore a preliminary injunction blocking the public charge rule that denied green cards and visas to immigrants who used certain public assistance programs.
SourceJames co-led a multistate lawsuit challenging federal policy changes that would share TANF recipients’ private information, including immigration status, with DHS and other federal agencies.
SourceLetitia James, as New York Attorney General, has consistently taken pro-climate and pro-clean-energy positions, using litigation and multistate coalitions to defend greenhouse-gas regulation, clean vehicle standards, offshore wind projects, and environmental justice funding. Her Climate & Energy record emphasizes opposing federal rollbacks of climate protections and supporting renewable energy, emissions limits, and state authority to enforce clean-air rules.
Specific Actions & Proposals
James led a coalition suing the Trump administration after EPA repealed safeguards requiring coal- and gas-fired power plants to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
SourceJames filed lawsuits challenging federal stop-work orders against Sunrise Wind and Empire Wind, arguing the projects support clean energy, jobs, grid reliability, and state climate progress.
SourceJames joined a multistate lawsuit challenging the termination of billions of dollars in congressionally approved funding for energy and infrastructure projects tied to climate and clean energy goals.
SourceJames co-led actions opposing EPA efforts to rescind the 2009 Endangerment Finding and weaken federal vehicle emission standards that underpin climate regulation.
SourceJames and other attorneys general sued to block EPA actions that would dismantle Clean Air Act waivers used by New York to enforce more protective clean vehicle standards.
SourceLetitia James supports protecting equal access to public education in New York, including free public schooling regardless of immigration status, DEI protections in schools, and restoration of federal education funds. She has also used the Attorney General's office to oppose student-loan restrictions and punitive student-debt practices.
Specific Actions & Proposals
James co-led a multistate lawsuit challenging federal rules that narrowed loan access for students pursuing nursing, social work, physical therapy, physician assistant studies, and other health-care-related degrees.
SourceJames led a coalition challenging a U.S. Department of Education rule that would have restricted PSLF eligibility for teachers, nurses, and other public servants based on their employers' activities or viewpoints.
SourceJames and a multistate coalition sued after the federal government froze education funds, resulting in the release of nearly $7 billion nationally and more than $463 million for New York schools.
SourceJames and NYSED issued guidance stating that students ages 5 to 21 have a right to free public education in New York regardless of nationality or immigration status, and warning schools against enrollment barriers.
SourceJames and NYSED issued guidance reminding public schools and local education agencies of obligations to promote DEI in teaching, discipline, and anti-bullying policies while protecting students from discrimination and harassment.
SourceLetitia James frames public safety as a combination of gun-violence prevention, police accountability, protection of emergency and anti-terrorism funding, and maintaining local trust between immigrant communities and law enforcement. As New York Attorney General, she has used litigation, amicus briefs, reports, and enforcement actions to defend gun laws, oppose rollbacks of firearms regulations, protect FEMA public-safety grants, and propose reforms to police practices.
Specific Actions & Proposals
James co-led a multistate effort filing 13 comment letters opposing proposed ATF rollbacks of firearm regulations that she said help prevent illegal gun trafficking, support law enforcement investigations, and keep guns from dangerous individuals.
SourceJames joined a multistate lawsuit challenging new federal conditions on FEMA funds that support anti-terrorism programs, police and fire departments, first responders, and critical infrastructure protection.
SourceJames filed an amicus brief supporting New York City laws limiting local involvement in federal civil immigration enforcement, arguing they improve public safety by helping immigrants report crimes and serve as witnesses without fear.
SourceJames supported upholding New York’s firearms accountability law, which allows state and local governments to hold firearm manufacturers and sellers accountable for misconduct connected to gun-violence injuries.
SourceNew York Attorney General
https://ag.ny.gov/about/meet-letitia-jamesFetched: biography, education, background
New York City Campaign Finance Board
https://www.nyccfb.info/nyc-votes/vgwelcome/state-general-2018/meet-the-candidates/attorney-general/letitia-a-james/?languageType=EnglishFetched: education, background
OpenSecrets / FollowTheMoney state money profile via search result
https://www.opensecrets.org/officeholders/tish-james/summary?cycle=2022&id=14852866Fetched: campaignFinance
Transparency USA
https://www.transparencyusa.org/ny/candidate/letitia-james?cycle=2017-to-nowFetched: campaignFinance
Politics and Other Stuff
https://politicsandstuff.com/2026/07/17/just-the-facts-mid-year-campaign-financials/Fetched: campaignFinance
Citizens Union
https://citizensunion.org/document/2026-10-15/citizens-union-endorses-letitia-james-for-attorney-general-and-tom-dinapoli-for-comptroller/Fetched: endorsements
iVoterGuide
https://ivoterguide.com/candidate/89244/race/33836/election/1487Fetched: endorsements, ratings
Vote Smart
https://justfacts.votesmart.org/candidate/biography/80307/letitia-jamesFetched: endorsements
New York Attorney General
https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2026/attorney-general-james-wins-lawsuit-challenging-federal-attack-transgenderFetched: issuePositions
New York Attorney General
https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2025/attorney-general-james-sues-block-trump-administrations-unlawful-attacks-genderFetched: issuePositions
New York Attorney General
https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2025/attorney-general-james-sues-block-federal-rule-slashing-access-affordable-healthFetched: issuePositions
New York Attorney General
https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2025/attorney-general-james-sues-block-trump-administrations-dangerous-dismantlingFetched: issuePositions
New York Attorney General
https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2026/attorney-general-james-sues-hhs-threatening-withhold-billions-states-refuseFetched: issuePositions
Letitia James for New York Attorney General official campaign website
https://jamesforny.com/Fetched: issuePositions
New York Attorney General official biography
https://ag.ny.gov/about/meet-letitia-jamesFetched: issuePositions
New York Attorney General press release on unemployment benefit system funding
https://ag.ny.gov/index.php/press-release/2026/attorney-general-james-sues-protect-funding-unemployment-benefit-system-upgradesFetched: issuePositions
New York Attorney General press release on Denny's worker settlement
https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2026/attorney-general-james-secures-440000-dennys-workers-western-new-yorkFetched: issuePositions
New York Attorney General press release on offshore wind lease lawsuit
https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2026/attorney-general-james-and-governor-hochul-announce-lawsuit-challenging-unlawfulFetched: issuePositions
New York Attorney General press release on energy funding cuts
https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2026/attorney-general-james-sues-block-politically-motivated-energy-funding-cutsFetched: issuePositions
New York Attorney General press release on UPS wage theft lawsuit
https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2025/attorney-general-james-sues-ups-cheating-seasonal-workers-out-millions-dollarsFetched: issuePositions
New York Office of the Attorney General
https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2026/attorney-general-james-releases-statement-supreme-court-birthright-citizenshipFetched: issuePositions
New York Office of the Attorney General
https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2026/attorney-general-james-defends-public-safety-and-immigrant-communities-new-yorkFetched: issuePositions
New York Office of the Attorney General
https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2026/attorney-general-james-and-governor-hochul-announce-first-enforcement-action-newFetched: issuePositions
New York Office of the Attorney General
https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2021/attorney-general-james-helps-restore-injunction-trump-administrations-publicFetched: issuePositions
New York Office of the Attorney General
https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2026/attorney-general-james-sues-trump-administration-protect-vulnerable-new-yorkersFetched: issuePositions
New York State Office of the Attorney General
https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2026/attorney-general-james-challenges-epa-rollback-power-plant-pollution-limitsFetched: issuePositions
New York State Office of the Attorney General
https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2026/attorney-general-james-sues-trump-administration-illegally-suspending-new-yorksFetched: issuePositions
New York State Office of the Attorney General
https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2026/attorney-general-james-sues-block-politically-motivated-energy-funding-cutsFetched: issuePositions
New York State Office of the Attorney General
https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2025/attorney-general-james-fights-back-against-epas-attempts-deny-climate-changeFetched: issuePositions
New York State Office of the Attorney General
https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2025/attorney-general-james-sues-trump-administration-unlawfully-stripping-new-yorkFetched: issuePositions
New York Attorney General - Student loan cuts for health-care workers
https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2026/attorney-general-james-sues-stop-student-loan-cuts-future-health-care-workersFetched: issuePositions
New York Attorney General - Public Service Loan Forgiveness case
https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2026/attorney-general-james-wins-case-preventing-weaponization-public-service-loanFetched: issuePositions
New York Attorney General - Withheld education funds release
https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2025/attorney-general-james-secures-major-victory-federal-government-releasesFetched: issuePositions
New York Attorney General - Free public education guidance
https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2023/know-your-rights-attorney-general-james-and-nysed-commissioner-rosa-affirm-everyFetched: issuePositions
New York Attorney General - DEI public schools guidance
https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2023/attorney-general-james-and-nysed-commissioner-rosa-issue-guidance-promoteFetched: issuePositions
Office of the New York Attorney General
https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2026/attorney-general-james-co-leads-multistate-effort-opposing-trump-administrationsFetched: issuePositions
Office of the New York Attorney General
https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2026/attorney-general-james-sues-trump-administration-protect-billions-dollars-antiFetched: issuePositions
Office of the New York Attorney General
https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2026/attorney-general-james-defends-public-safety-and-immigrant-communities-new-yorkFetched: issuePositions
Office of the New York Attorney General
https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2025/attorney-general-james-successfully-defends-new-yorks-nation-leading-gun-lawsFetched: issuePositions
Office of the New York Attorney General
https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2025/attorney-general-james-proposes-reforms-address-dangerous-police-vehicleFetched: issuePositions