By: Tzirel Rosenblatt – Jewish Voice News

A 36-year-old attorney whose career has spanned both the legal and financial frontiers of the cryptocurrency sector is mounting a challenge to New York Attorney General Letitia James, seeking the Republican nomination in one of the most closely watched statewide races of the coming cycle. According to a report on Thursday in The New York Post, the candidate, Khurram Dara, is presenting his campaign as a referendum on political overreach, rising costs of doing business, and the future of legal governance in New York.

Dara, who most recently served as head of regulatory and policy operations at Bain Capital Crypto—the specialized venture fund of the Boston-based investment giant—announced that his candidacy is designed to offer a stark contrast to the Democratic incumbent, whom he accused of elevating partisan priorities above the responsibilities of her office. As The New York Post reported, Dara cast James as an emblem of entrenched political ambition, describing her as a “professional politician” whose twenty-year public career has, in his view, demonstrated an unwillingness to place New Yorkers above personal advancement.

“Letitia James has been a professional politician for over twenty years, and throughout her career she has consistently put her own political interests ahead of New Yorkers,” Dara said, according to the report in The New York Post. “I’m running for New York State Attorney General because the people of New York deserve an AG that puts New Yorkers first, not one consumed by her own political ambitions.”

His announcement immediately injected new energy into the GOP’s preparations for statewide contests, though Dara will first need to face a primary opponent who remains deeply connected to the party establishment. Michael Henry—the Republican nominee for attorney general in 2022—has continued to maintain strong ties with county leaders, activists, and donors, making the upcoming primary a potential test of whether Republican voters prioritize established figures or new voices with specialized policy backgrounds.

Dara is positioning himself as a candidate uniquely capable of challenging what he characterizes as a growing trend of “lawfare”: the use of prosecutorial authority for political ends. In his view, the attorney general’s office has, over recent years, drifted away from its core function of consistent law enforcement and instead embraced a style of activism that undermines economic stability and chills investment in the state.

Dara argues that James has presided over an era in which the attorney general’s office has operated increasingly like a regulatory and policymaking body—a transformation he insists carries significant economic consequences. “The evolution of state AGs into regulators and policymakers has been costly in more ways than one—and nowhere has that been more apparent than in New York,” he said, according to The New York Post report. He added that these changes “set the stage for Letitia James’ partisan lawfare” while simultaneously raising business costs “at a time when New Yorkers face a crippling affordability crisis.”

The focal point of Dara’s campaign thus appears to be a coupling of legal reform and economic revitalization, rooted in his belief that the attorney general must act as a steward of fairness and stability, not a political combatant. “Letitia James has not earned another term,” he told The New York Post. “New York needs an Attorney General that will enforce the law, not politicize it. That’s why I am running.”

Dara’s entrance into the race also coincides with intensifying scrutiny of James herself. The Trump Justice Department indicted James on allegations of mortgage fraud related to residential properties she owns in Virginia—charges that James has emphatically denied. Although no conviction resulted, the indictment continues to fuel political debates about her record, her conduct, and the degree to which she has become a prominent national figure.

James, 67, is now seeking a third term, a pursuit that places her once again at the center of statewide political dynamics. Her tenure has been defined by headline-grabbing legal actions, including civil litigation against President Trump, lawsuits targeting the National Rifle Association, and the sexual misconduct investigation that precipitated the resignation of former Governor Andrew Cuomo. She has also pursued high-profile cases against cryptocurrency firms—an area in which Dara possesses specialized professional experience, a fact that could sharpen the policy contrasts between the two contenders.

Dara’s professional credentials are broad, extending beyond his work in the cryptofinancial sector. According to the report in The New York Post, he is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations, one of the nation’s most influential nonpartisan think tanks focused on foreign policy and national security. He also serves on the advisory board of the Investor Choice Advocates Network, a nonprofit dedicated to expanding access to capital markets, advocating for small investors, and opposing regulatory overreach that may impede entrepreneurship.

This combination of global-policy engagement and financial-industry expertise, Dara argues, positions him to understand the complexities of modern economic governance better than the incumbent. It also allows him to speak to the concerns of small businesses, middle-class families, and investors frustrated by what he characterizes as an increasingly hostile business climate in New York.

Dara’s personal journey adds another layer to his emerging public profile. He grew up in the Town of Amherst, near Buffalo, before earning his bachelor’s degree at Emory University and completing his J.D. at Columbia Law School—one of the most prestigious law programs in the country. He now resides in Brooklyn with his wife, Shari.

Dara’s candidacy emerges at a moment of political recalibration both within New York State and the national Republican Party. Statewide GOP candidates have sought to build on recent gains made in congressional races, especially in suburban districts, by presenting themselves as advocates for affordability, economic moderation, and public safety. At the same time, Republican strategists recognize that unseating a well-known Democratic incumbent in a statewide race remains a steep challenge.

For Dara, the path to the nomination requires navigating the expectations of a party still shaped by its previous statewide contenders. Michael Henry’s continuing influence within New York’s Republican ranks may create a competitive dynamic in which Dara’s professional background becomes both an asset and a distinguishing feature.

Still, Dara’s early messaging suggests he intends to frame the attorney general’s office not merely as a legal role but as a pivotal arena in the fight over New York’s economic trajectory. His emphasis on restoring confidence in the fairness of the law, reducing politically motivated prosecutions, and challenging regulatory expansiveness will likely form the backbone of his campaign.

As he told The New York Post, the core of his argument is simple: “New Yorkers deserve an attorney general who works for them, not for personal ambition.” The coming months will determine whether that message resonates within the Republican primary electorate—and whether it ultimately shapes the broader statewide contest.