NEW YORK (AP) 鈥 Democrat Letitia James has been elected to a second term as New York鈥檚 attorney general, an office she has used to pursue former President Donald Trump and a list of other powerful targets.
James on Tuesday defeated Republican Michael Henry, a Queens lawyer who was endorsed by various police unions but faced long odds against one of the state鈥檚 most powerful Democrats.
鈥淲e sent a message, a shot across the bow to the most powerful companies and people who believe that they鈥檙e above the law that they are not, and that this Attorney General will hold them accountable," James told supporters. "We show them that justice is not a theoretical concept to be pursued but a reality to be enforced.鈥
Henry did not make any comment, but on Twitter he retweeted a tweet from his spokesperson, Candace Giove, who said, 鈥淭he chief law enforcement official of NY really should wait until the votes are counted before declaring victory."
James, 64, made history when she took office in January 2019. She is the first Black woman elected to statewide office, the state鈥檚 first Black attorney general and the first woman elected to the post.
She began investigating Trump almost as soon as she took office, in September alleging he and his company misled banks and others about the value of his assets.
James also confronted one of her party鈥檚 stars, overseeing a sexual harassment investigation last year that precipitated Gov. Andrew Cuomo鈥檚 .
Other foes have included the 香港六合彩挂牌资料 Rifle Association 鈥 whom she is suing over alleged self-dealing by executives; the manufacturers and distributors of opioid painkillers; the Roman Catholic Church, which her office is investigating for its handling of priest abuse; and the NYPD, which she sued over its treatment of protesters in the wake of the Minneapolis police killing of George Floyd.
Like many New York Republicans this year, Henry has campaigned on fears of rising crime and unwavering support for law enforcement. He favors loosening gun restrictions and less regulation of businesses.
Henry said James' office 鈥渉as been weaponized in service of political ambition.鈥 He has criticized her for going after Trump and for involving herself in the Cuomo investigation when she had designs on possibly replacing him as governor.
James did last year following Cuomo's resignation, but abandoned the effort after about two months.
When Trump was president, James sued his administration dozens of times, challenging policies on the environment, immigration, education, health care and other issues. She also fought Trump on his plans to include a question about immigration status on the Census, winning in the U.S. Supreme Court.
Trump has repeatedly blasted James鈥 actions against him, saying she's driven by 鈥渞acism" and political considerations.
Before she won her office in 2018, James had called Trump a 鈥渃on man,鈥 鈥砪arnival barker鈥 and 鈥渇ear monger.鈥
After a leak of the Supreme Court decision , James vowed to use her office protect abortion rights in the state.
James, who grew up and still lives in Brooklyn, also made a deeply personal disclosure, saying that she had an abortion about two decades ago.
