“Retirement shouldn't be making the choice between buying much-needed medication or putting food on the table; making the choice between heating an apartment in the cold winter months or paying rent; making the choice between paying a phone bill or seeing a doctor.”

American lawyer and politician, New York attorney general since 2019

Letitia James is an American lawyer and politician from New York. She has served as New York’s attorney general since 2019 and was first elected in 2018. A Democrat, she is the first Black person to hold the office of New York attorney general and the first Black woman elected to statewide office in New York. Known as Letitia Ann “Tish” James, she has built her career in public service and state politics. Her public profile is tied to law, government, and representation in New York, where she has held a historic office and broken long-standing barriers in statewide politics.