As New York attorney general, I have wielded the law as a sword and shield to defend safety and opportunity for all New York’s families. Since assuming office in 2019, I have prioritized public safety, taken on powerful interests, and protected our rights. I am running for reelection to finish the job and keep New Yorkers safe.
A key facet in ensuring safety for all is our fight against rising hatred and bigotry, particularly toward New York’s Jewish community. Jewish families have built up this state for generations, yet too many Jewish New Yorkers face antisemitism and discrimination.
My office stopped a Rockland County business from charging Jewish customers more for the same services ahead of Passover. We ended housing discrimination against Hasidic families in Orange County. And we have fought so that all New Yorkers can practice their faith openly and without fear. We are doing this work because the protection of the Jewish people cannot and will not be the responsibility of the Jewish people alone.
As we fight against hate, we are also confronting the criminals who bring illegal guns and deadly drugs into our neighborhoods. My office’s Organized Crime Task Force works in lockstep with local and state police to dismantle these networks and bring traffickers to justice.
This year, we secured the final convictions in a gun and drug trafficking case involving 13 defendants. That investigation recovered 74 firearms, including assault weapons and ghost guns, along with thousands of rounds of ammunition. We also ended a trafficking operation moving heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine across the Capital Region and Hudson Valley. And in Queens, we brought to justice five traffickers whose operation involved dozens of untraceable ghost guns.
We are also taking meaningful steps to prevent violence before it occurs. Our community gun buybacks give New Yorkers a safe way to surrender weapons before they fall into the wrong hands. Just this week, my office announced that our buyback events have recovered more than 10,500 firearms statewide since 2019. Public safety requires strong enforcement and practical prevention. My office is committed to both.
That commitment extends to protecting our children online. Social media companies have designed platforms to keep young people scrolling, no matter the harm. I spearheaded New York’s SAFE for Kids Act, which will restrict addictive social media feeds and overnight notifications for minors without parental consent.
We also secured a historic victory against Meta for Instagram and Facebook features they knew to be harmful to kids and teens. Working with a bipartisan coalition of attorneys general from across the country, we secured $1.15 billion for New York and permanent changes to Meta’s predatory practices.
And when Washington came for New Yorkers, I defended our state’s families. This federal administration, which supports my opponent, tried to rob New York of $100 million in counterterrorism and emergency preparedness funding. My office also took them to court and won. We fought tooth-and-nail to restore nearly $34 million to protect riders on the MTA. This administration tried to play politics with resources our families depend on. We shut them down every single time.
Growing up in Brooklyn as one of eight children taught me the importance of grit and hard work on behalf of our great state. As early voting begins, I am humbly asking New Yorkers for another term. If reelected, you should expect the same courage, the same dedication, and the same love for New York infused in every action my office takes. New York deserves nothing less.
James, a Democrat, is running for reelection as New York attorney general.