Letitia James Bows Out Of Attorney General Contest, For Now

NEW YORK, NY — Public Advocate Letitia James said she doesn't want to be the state Legislature's pick to replace former Attorney General Eric Schneiderman even though she was reportedly a top contender for the job.

In a Friday evening tweet, James, a Democrat, said she won't seek an appointment from state lawmakers when they interview candidates next week. But she didn't rule out running for attorney general in this fall's election.

"After thoughtful and careful deliberation, I have decided not to participate in the ongoing legislative process regarding the Attorney General’s Office," James wrote. "More to come next week..."

A committee of state senators and Assembly members is set to interview candidates for attorney general starting Tuesday, a week after Schneiderman resigned following a report in The New Yorker that he physically and psychologically abused four women.

State law empowers the Legislature to appoint a new attorney general in a joint session of both chambers when there's a vacancy. Acting Attorney General Barbara Underwood is running the office in the meantime.

The New York Post reported Wednesday that James had lined up enough votes to secure the appointment. But Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie (D-Bronx) firmly denied that lawmakers had discussed particular candidates.

James, who has also moved toward a run for mayor, joined a list of potential candidates to replace Schneiderman, a Democrat, who have said they'll stay out of the imminent political horserace without closing the door to seeking the job in the September primary and November general election.

Others include law professor Zephyr Teachout, former United States Attorney Preet Bharara and state Sen. Michael Gianaris (D-Queens). Teachout and Bharara urged the Legislature to keep Underwood in the job for now, but Gianaris was reportedly silent on that issue in a statement issued Friday.

Heastie, whose Democratic Assembly conference will dominate the appointment process, put out a call for applications this week with a deadline of 5 p.m. Friday.

Underwood told the New York Daily News that she'd submit her name for consideration. A spokeswoman for Heastie did not respond to an email asking who had submitted applications.

There's also a Republican candidate campaigning for Schneiderman's old job: the corporate attorney Manny Alicandro.

(Lead image: Public Advocate Letitia James speaks at an event in December 2017. Photo by Gary Gershoff/Getty Images for Housing Works, Inc. )