New York Attorney General Letitia James is reportedly making a run for governor of the state.

News 12 has learned that James is expected to make a formal announcement later this week.   In a statement, Kimberly Peeler-Allen, Senior Advisor for Attorney General Letitia James' campaign, says, "Attorney General Letitia James has made a decision regarding the governor's race. She will be announcing it in the coming days." 

In March 2021, News 12's Tara Rosenblum asked the attorney general whether she had interest in running for governor.

"I'm putting my head down and I'm doing my work and that's what I am focused on," James said.

Political consultant Mike Dawidziak says news of James' plans to run for governor is not a surprise.

"Even before Cuomo resigned and Hochul took over as governor, everybody speculated that she was going to make the run for governor," Dawidziak says. "So, this is...certainly the worst kept secret in New York politics in a long time."

James led the investigation into sexual assault allegations into former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, which eventually forced him to resign.

Cuomo's resignation made Kathy Hochul New York's governor and a likely opponent for James.

Chair of the New York State Democratic Committee Jay Jacobs has already endorsed Hochul.

"I think Kathy Hochul's going to do very well, but it will be an opportunity for Democrats to make a choice between the various factions...in our party," Jacobs says.

Hochul took over as governor in August.

Dawidziak says a Democratic primary between Hochul and James would be a contest between moderates and progressives in New York.

He says the current governor would need to get votes out of the suburbs and the attorney general would probably need get votes from the city.

"In 244 years of New York history, there was never a woman governor," Dawidziak says. "And now we have two extremely qualified women running for governor against each other."