NEW YORK (AP) —NEW YORK — Republican attorney general candidate Saritha Komatireddy drew praise for her energetic debate performance against Democratic incumbent Letitia James, whose subdued delivery and apparent lack of energy became a focal point of criticism following their televised encounter.

Komatireddy, a former federal prosecutor and former chief of staff at the Drug Enforcement Administration, entered the debate as a relatively unknown challenger. She emerged with favorable reviews from conservative political figures who praised her preparation, confidence and command of the issues.

Former Michigan Republican Rep. Peter Meijer called Komatireddy “impressive” and praised one of her answers as among the best debate responses he had seen in a long time.

Republican political consultant Ryan James Girdusky was equally enthusiastic.

“She’s phenomenal. I can’t believe I’m just finding out who she is,” Girdusky said.

By contrast, James was criticized by conservative commentators who said she appeared low-energy and lacked the sharpness expected of an incumbent seeking another term. Her delivery struck some viewers as sleepy, particularly when compared with Komatireddy’s forceful exchanges and quick responses.

One moment that drew attention came when the candidates were asked to name a former New York attorney general they admired. James struggled to provide an answer, prompting moderator Errol Louis to remind her of the time limit. Komatireddy seized on the exchange with a pointed remark suggesting James admired only herself.

The debate also featured clashes over crime, Medicaid fraud and the use of the attorney general’s office. Komatireddy accused James of putting political battles ahead of the concerns of ordinary New Yorkers. James defended her record and challenged her opponent’s qualifications.

The contrast in presentation gave Komatireddy an opportunity to portray herself as prepared and energetic while raising questions about James’ performance. However, the commentators’ assessments reflect opinion, and there has been no independent measurement of how the debate affected voters.

No new poll yet measures the debate’s impact

Despite the favorable commentary surrounding Komatireddy’s performance, no new public poll has established whether she gained support following the debate.

The latest head-to-head survey identified for this article was conducted by the Siena Research Institute before the candidates met onstage. Released Sept. 23, it showed James leading Komatireddy 52% to 39% among likely voters, a 13-point advantage.

In August, James led 54% to 36%. The narrowing gap indicates that Komatireddy had gained ground before the debate, but it does not establish that the televised encounter changed the race.

The September survey questioned 1,144 likely voters from Sept. 11-17 and had a margin of error of 3.9 percentage points. More than two-thirds of voters either had not heard of Komatireddy or did not know enough about her to form an opinion, according to Siena.

With Election Day set for Nov. 3, Komatireddy faces the challenge of turning the attention generated by the debate into broader name recognition and voter support. New polling will be needed to determine whether the contest tightens further.

For now, the debate has given the Republican challenger a valuable opportunity to introduce herself to voters, while James faces criticism over a performance that some commentators characterized as sleepy and lacking energy.