New York state Attorney General Letitia James has thrown her hat in the ring for the 2022 New York state governor’s race.

James, a Democrat, announced her candidacy on Oct. 29. She will be challenging incumbent Gov. Kathy Hochul in the primary elections. The general election for the governorship will be taking place on Tuesday, Nov. 8, 2022.

Thus far, James and Hochul are the only two candidates who have been officially announced as contenders in the Democratic primary. James is expected to be a strong challenger to Hochul and has earned the endorsement of the Transport Workers Union as well as several elected officials. Hochul has also received several early endorsements by organizations such as the Democratic Governors Association and Emily’s List, a political action committee that advocates for Democratic female candidates who support abortion rights. According to The New York Times, New York City Public Advocate Jumaane Williams has also formed an exploratory committee for the governor’s race, which, along with Mayor Bill de Blasio’s potential bid for governor, could split city voters.

James was elected to the position of New York state attorney general in November 2018. She is widely known for leading the sexual harassment investigation into former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The investigation began in February 2021 and concluded with the Aug. 3 report stating Cuomo sexually harassed 11 women while in office, resulting in his resignation and replacement by Hochul.

While not all students may be familiar with James or the details of the upcoming election, some said they were looking forward to learning more about the candidates as the race progresses.

Oliver Chin, a sophomore majoring in philosophy, said he was interested in a race between established candidates.

“I am normally an active voter, but I haven’t done my research into the governor’s race yet,” Chin said. “But just from what I have heard, I guess I’m glad that I haven’t heard about any outlandish characters running for governor, like no outsiders, maybe no Trumps. People who are making a name for themselves for more than what they want to do. [James] seems like someone who would contribute to a more honest race, rather than just a circus.”

Thus far, the Binghamton University College Democrats have not officially endorsed a candidate for the position of New York state governor. The group provided their current thoughts on James and what they are looking for in candidates going forward.

“Since it is so early in the race, we have not endorsed anyone yet, but we do plan to endorse closer to the primaries,” the group wrote in an email. “As of right now, it is exciting to see qualified candidates, specifically women, entering the race. The governor of New York is such an important position and greatly affects us as students at a SUNY institution. So, we will definitely be watching the race closely and will support a strong, progressive candidate who has our best interests in mind and will progress New York forward.”

The date for the 2022 Democratic primary elections has not been announced by the New York State Board of Elections yet, but primaries in New York are usually held in June, according to Alison Twang, the associate director of the Center for Civic Engagement (CCE). Twang explained that since New York has closed primary elections, in order to vote in the 2022 Democratic primaries, one must be a member of the party, meaning independents are not allowed to vote in primaries. The deadline to enroll in a political party in order to vote in June is on Feb. 14, 2022.

Twang said she felt primary elections are important, as they are how candidates in the general elections are chosen. According to Twang, if voter turnout is low in party primaries, the candidates who appear in the general election may not be the most accurate reflection of party values.

Students at BU have the option to vote in person either at an on-campus or off-campus polling site or send in an absentee ballot depending on where they are registered to vote. As primary elections will take place over the summer, while the general election is during the fall 2022 semester, students may need to vote absentee in one election and in person in the next depending on their registration status.

In addition to the governor’s race, there are numerous other elections taking place in 2022.

“[The year] 2022 will be an exciting election year, with important local elections in Broome County, state-level races in New York and congressional races across the country,” Twang wrote. “We saw record student voter turnout in 2020 and expect BU students to continue their active participation in all elections.”

The Democratic primary for New York state governor will be taking place in June 2022, and the general election will be held on Nov. 8, 2022. More information about voting, voter registration and the election can be found by visiting the CCE in UU-137 on campus or reaching out via email to cce@binghamton.edu.