Washington, October 18, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Indian-American Republican candidate Saritha Komatireddy has narrowed New York Attorney General Letitia James’s lead to 13 percentage points in the latest publicly available poll, but continues to face a significant disadvantage in campaign finances and name recognition as early voting approaches.
A Siena poll of likely voters conducted from September 11 to 17 placed James at 52 per cent and Komatireddy at 39 per cent, narrowing the gap from 54-36 in August. No newer publicly available poll of the race has been identified.
Komatireddy’s favourability rating stood at 17 per cent favourable and 12 per cent unfavourable, while 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 also narrowed, with the attorney general leading Komatireddy by 62 per cent to 26 per cent, compared with 71 per cent to 20 per cent in August.
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“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.
The financial gap between the candidates remains substantial. James had approximately $6.2 million in cash on hand, including around $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 largest contributor, with $397,412, followed by the New York Republican State Committee with $50,000. Among other contributors, Vivek Ramaswamy donated $18,000.
A super PAC supporting Komatireddy is seeking to narrow the financial gap. Strong and Safe New York, funded by New York Knicks owner James Dolan, retired casino mogul Steve Wynn and others, has announced a “seven-figure investment” in her campaign, 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 criticised the involvement of the outside group, saying, “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, hosted by Spectrum News NY1 on October 8, Komatireddy sharply criticised James’s record in office.
“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.
Komatireddy has since challenged James to participate in additional debates, but none has been scheduled.
A former federal prosecutor and former chief of staff at the Drug Enforcement Administration, Komatireddy has received Trump’s endorsement. She also clerked for then-Judge Brett Kavanaugh.
New York has approximately six million active registered Democrats, compared with 2.8 million Republicans. No Republican has won a statewide election in the state since 2002.
According to the New York State Board of Elections, early voting will run from October 24 to November 1, ahead of the November 3 election.
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