GARDEN CITY – State Republicans nominated a former prosecutor to run against Attorney General Letitia James Tuesday — avoiding a primary when a second candidate dropped of the race at the 11th hour.
Saritha Komatireddy got the nod for AG after winning a substantial share of the weighted vote over Khurram Dara, as the statewide Republican ticket continued to solidify at the state GOP convention behind gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman.
“While I was chasing terrorists across the Middle East, I saw right here in my backyard in New York public safety completely deteriorated,” Komatiredyy said, touting her record with the Eastern District before the nomination.
“From now until November I will prosecute the political case against Letitia James, and unlike her, I win my cases,” she added to roaring applause during her nomination address.
Komatireddy, who was backed by powerful GOP counties like Erie County, garnered a sizable 84% of the weighted convention vote despite Dara pleading his case and traveling around the state ahead of the convention.
He received 14% of the weighted convention vote and backed out after the vote.
Dara, whose background stems from the cryptocurrency world, had centered his pitch around using the office’s power over regulatory matters to improve New York’s strict business climate.
“New York’s office of the attorney general has become one of the most powerful offices in the country, regulating entire businesses and industries, being used to settle political scores and ultimately raising the price of goods,” Dara said.
The race took a major turn when party favorite Michael Henry, who previously ran for AG in 2022, shockingly backed out of the race late last month.
Sources said Blakeman’s team had told Dara to drop his bid entirely ahead of the convention vote Tuesday afternoon, though he evidently refused.
The party also formally voted to don Wall Street investor Joseph Hernandez as its candidate for state comptroller.
“Accountability is unfortunately something not so common in today’s politics, especially in Albany, and we’re going to bring accountability back,” Hernandez, the son of Cuban immigrants, said.
Hernandez also revealed in his speech his commitment to invest $1 billion from the state’s pension fund into Israel bonds.
Blakeman and his running mate, Madison County Sheriff Todd Hood, are expected to receive the party’s nomination Wednesday.
No Republican has won a statewide office since former Gov. George Pataki’s re-election in 2002.