NEW: Letitia James Facing Brutal Re-Election Battle

Letitia James once stood as a rising star in Democratic politics—hailed as a historic trailblazer, a legal powerhouse, and a dependable liberal force in New York’s political landscape.

But now, with the 2026 election cycle heating up, the state’s first Black woman to hold statewide office finds herself under a cloud of federal investigation and staring down a motivated Republican challenger. For an incumbent once assumed to be coasting to reelection, the road ahead looks far from smooth.

James was elected New York Attorney General in 2018 and quickly built a national profile, notably after leading a successful civil case against then-former President Donald Trump that resulted in nearly $500 million in penalties against his business empire. That case capped a series of legal offensives—nearly 100 lawsuits—filed by her office against Trump and his administration during and after his presidency.

But what once played as strength in a deeply Democratic state is now being reassessed, particularly amid rising GOP energy and new legal troubles of her own.

In April of this year, the Federal Housing Finance Agency referred James to the Department of Justice for possible criminal prosecution over allegations that she misrepresented details on her mortgage application for a Brooklyn property. Investigators say James may have falsely claimed the property as her primary residence, misrepresented the number of units it contained, and omitted personal relationships—all in an effort to obtain favorable loan terms.

James’s attorneys have dismissed the accusations as clerical oversights, but the FBI opened a formal criminal probe in May. A Republican-aligned watchdog group, America First Legal, followed up with ethics complaints, accusing James of professional misconduct. Her lawyer shot back, calling the allegations “baseless” and politically motivated—a targeted response, he said, to her work prosecuting both Trump and former Governor Andrew Cuomo.

Her likely challenger, Republican attorney Michael Henry, nearly pulled off an upset in 2022, securing 45% of the vote in a race that few expected to be close. Now, with James weakened by scandal and Republicans energized, Henry is preparing for a rematch.

Henry has already amassed support from over 6,000 donors—more than 1,200 qualifying for New York’s public matching funds program. The new 6-to-1 match has allowed him to flood the state with messaging focused on restoring balance and rooting out partisan politics from the attorney general’s office.

Meanwhile, New York’s political dynamics are also shifting. President Donald Trump made significant inroads in 2024, gaining ground in traditionally blue strongholds like Brooklyn and Queens—territories that helped James build her career. Voters appear increasingly willing to consider Republican alternatives, particularly in suburban regions where concerns about crime and the cost of living persist.

Adding to the turmoil, Governor Kathy Hochul is facing her own party’s unrest, with Lieutenant Governor Antonio Delgado launching a primary challenge for the state’s top office. James, who has long aligned herself with the party establishment, risks becoming collateral damage amid the rising Democratic infighting.

Trump, for his part, has escalated his long-standing feud with James. He called her “corrupt” and “grossly incompetent,” accusing her of using the power of her office for political warfare. His allies point to the federal investigation into her mortgage filings as validation, saying it exposes a double standard within New York’s justice system.

James is one of the most recognizable legal figures in the country. Her leadership in multi-state lawsuits against Trump’s executive actions on immigration and voting access earned her applause from the left. But in a post-2024 landscape, even progressive credentials are no guarantee of reelection—especially when legal trouble lingers.

With public trust potentially on the line, the central question of her campaign may no longer be whether she can defeat her Republican challenger—but whether voters still believe she’s fit to serve at all.