Former prosecutor Saritha Komatireddy is the favorite of New York Republicans to run against incumbent Attorney General Letitia James November 3.
In unanimously endorsing Komatireddy, who had announced her candidacy in December 2025, the New York Republican State Committee avoided a primary, not just in the AG race but also other top races. The announcement came as part of the NYState GOP’s Feb. 11, 2026, press release that Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman had accepted his nomination for Governor in his race against incumbent Democrat Kathy Hochul.
Blakeman recognized his running mates Joseph Hernandez for State Comptroller, Saritha Komatireddy for Attorney General, and Todd Hood for Lieutenant Governor when he accepted his nomination.
“He (Blakeman) praised Hernandez’s business background and personal story as a Cuban immigrant, Komatireddy’s experience as a federal prosecutor and national security leader, and Hood’s 22-year career in law enforcement and leadership within the New York State Sheriffs’ Association.,” the Feb. 11 press release from the NY Republican State Committee said.
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“Together, we will bring fiscal responsibility, accountability, and public safety back to New York,” Blakeman added.
Komatireddy describes herself on her campaign website sarithafornewyork.com as “a respected former prosecutor, national security expert, and public servant with a career devoted to upholding the rule of law and protecting Americans.”
After the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Komatireddy got her law degree from Harvard, and “has spent over a decade prosecuting leaders in Al Qaeda, ISIS, and the Mexican drug cartels,” her biography says. She has also dealt with high profile cybercrime and money laundering, foreign corruption cases as a federal prosecutor in the Eastern District of New York.
“Her cases have impacted individuals and communities across New York State, from New York City and Long Island to Buffalo and Rochester,” the biography claims.
Komatireddy also served as Chief of Staff of the Drug Enforcement Administration, a 10,000-person global law enforcement agency.
She has been recognized with multiple Attorney General’s Awards and national law enforcement honors through her career.
A graduate of Harvard College and Harvard Law School, Komatireddy began her legal career as a clerk for then-Judge Brett Kavanaugh on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit (now a Supreme Court Justice). She later served as Counsel to the National Commission on the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill. Today, she is a Partner at Holtzman Vogel and teaches at Columbia Law School.