Letitia James wins public advocate runoff

Councilwoman Letitia James defeated state Sen. Daniel Squadron in Tuesday's Democractic primary runoff for public advocate.

With all precincts reporting, unofficial returns show James took nearly 60 percent of the vote, with Squadron garnering 40 percent. About 188,000 voters made it to the polls Tuesday, while nearly 700,000 votes were cast in September's Democratic primary.

Without a Republican opponent on the ballot, James is the presumed successor to Public Advocate Bill de Blasio, who is leaving the post as the Democratic nominee for mayor. James, a three-term Brooklyn councilwoman, will be the first African-American woman to hold citywide office and first in line to succeed the mayor if that seat becomes vacant mid-term.

The public advocate's office reviews and investigates complaints about city services and can recommend changes to agency programs. 

Tuesday's runoff cost $13 million, dwarfing the office's yearly budget of $2.3 million.