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- New York Attorney General Tish James is officially running for governor in 2022.
- James is a serious contender.
- Her investigation led to the resignation of Andrew Cuomo and Kathy Hochul becoming governor.
After months of speculation, New York Attorney General Tish James is officially running for governor in 2022.
James, 63, hails from Brooklyn's Park Slope neighborhood and boasts an impressive resume across city and statewide politics, culminating in her investigation that led to the resignation of former Gov. Andrew Cuomo.
She made her campaign official in a biographical video posted on Twitter.
-Tish James (@TishJames) October 29, 2021
James' video did not mention Hochul by name.
"I've sued the Trump administration 76 times," James says in the video. "But who's counting?"
Both Cuomo and former New York Gov. Elliot Spitzer, who also resigned amid a sex scandal, ran for governor following stints as state attorneys general.
The James announcement sets into motion what could prove to be a contentious primary battle against incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul, the first female governor in the history of the Empire State.
Hochul, who stepped in to take over for Cuomo after serving as his lieutenant governor, announced she would seek a full term in 2022 in August.
James' announcement came less than an hour before Albany County Sheriff Craig Apple was scheduled to hold a press conference on the misdemeanor forcible touching charges facing Cuomo.
Cuomo, who has denied any non-consensual sexual encounters or workplace harassment, has also been the subject of rumors surrounding the 2022 race. Since he was never formally impeached, he would legally be allowed to run.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio is also reportedly mulling a run for Albany's corner office after his term expires at the end of this year.
On the Republican side, Republican Rep. Lee Zeldin of Long Island is heavily favored to prevail in the GOP primary.
Former Westchester County Rob Astorino is also running on the GOP line for a second time after losing to Cuomo by 14 percentage points in 2014.
Andrew Giuliani, the son of former New York City Mayor and Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani, is also running as a Republican.