New York Attorney General Letitia James has been talking with her advisors and supporters about potentially running for governor next year, according to people familiar with the matter.

James has been investigating the former governor for several weeks. Andrew Cuomo was arrested and charged with the murder of former Gov.

James’ popularity has increased in recent years. The attorney general’s office is also investigating Cuomo and the National Rifle Association.

James, along with her associates, have been considering the pros and cons to running for governor in a Democratic primary. Some of these individuals also added. The only drawback is the loss of her powerful job as attorney general.

Kathy Hochul (current governor) has performed well in polls. She has many months to gain popularity and donors support from her position of great power.

James is being supported by some prominent New Yorkers.

Luis Miranda Jr., an experienced political consultant who is also the father of Lin-Manuel Miranda Jr., was one of those making calls to gather support for James running for governor. The names of these people were not given to protect their privacy.

According to James’ website Miranda was the lead consultant of James during her successful run for New York City public advocate.

Miranda also participated in successful senatorial campaigns for Hillary Clinton, Chuck Schumer, and Kirsten Gilbrand. Miranda was also a consultant to New York Mayor Bill de Blasio when he ran for reelection during the 2017 election.

James did not respond to a request for comment. Miranda declined to comment on the story before publication.

James (also known as Tish) was elected to the office in 2018. It is the first Black female to hold this position.

James’ investigation into Cuomo generated a report in August showing that at least 11 women were allegedly sexually harassed by the former governor, which he continues to deny. Cuomo was forced to resign a week after this report became public. Cuomo was replaced by the then-Lt. Governor. Hochul succeeded him as the first woman governor of Texas.

James also has been looking into the Trump Organization. Her office told CNBC in May that it was probing the business “in a criminal capacity” in addition to a civil investigation into the company.

James’ office said the charges that were filed earlier this year against Trump Organization CFO Allen Weisselberg are “part of an ongoing criminal investigation conducted by Attorney General James and Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr.”

James has indicated that she believes her investigations into the Trump Organization, Cuomo and the National Rifle Association have helped her build a powerful foundation for a possible gubernatorial run, according to several people who have recently spoken with her.

An August poll done by the progressive Data for Progress shows James in the lead in terms of a preferred primary candidate, ahead of Hochul and other potential candidates. There were over 800 eligible voters in New York and the margin of error for this survey was three percentage points.

Hochul has already started to build a solid foundation.

A recent Siena poll shows Hochul received a 42% favorability rating while an almost identical amount said they either had no opinion of her or didn’t know enough about her. Since she became governor, Hochul has been picking up top donors throughout the state, including some who previously supported Cuomo.

Hochul may face additional competition. New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams, a progressive, also has said he is considering running for governor. De Blasio, meanwhile, has reportedly been gauging support for a potential bid for governor.

James’s attorney general campaign received just more than $1 million in 2021. A group of wealthy donors contributed to her campaign, which might be of assistance to her in the event she runs for governor.

Karla Jurvetson (a Silicon Valley philanthropist) gave $49,000 to James’ campaign in March. David Karp (founder and ex-CEO of Tumblr’s short-form blogging platform) donated $25,000 to James in April.

Scott Rechler (real estate magnate) donated $10,000 in June to her attorney-general campaign account.