March 19 (UPI) — Actor Cynthia Nixon on Monday announced her bid to run for governor of New York, challenging incumbent Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo in the state’s Democratic primary.
Nixon, known best for her role as Miranda Hobbes in HBO’s Sex and the City, shared a video to Twitter declaring her candidacy and calling out leaders in government for “letting us down.”
“Something has to change,” she said. “We want our government to work again, on healthcare, ending mass incarceration, fixing our broken subway. We are sick of politicians who care more about headlines and power than they do about us. It can’t just be business as usual anymore.”
The 51-year-old Nixon is described as “a lifelong New Yorker and progressive activist” on her campaign donations page and if elected would be the first female and the first openly gay mayor of New York.
A Sienna College poll released Monday showed 66 percent of state Democrats prefer the incumbent Cuomo over 19 percent who prefer Nixon.
“With an overall 20-19 percent favorability rating — 26-16 percent among Democrats — Cynthia Nixon is far from a household name in New York,” Siena College pollster Steven Greenberg said.
Cuomo, who has served two terms as governor, said last week he’s “not nervous about whoever runs.”
“There’ll be people who run. That’s called elections, and that’s fine,” he said.
Two former advisors for New York Mayor Bill de Blasio — Bill Hyers and Rebecca Katz — joined Nixon’s campaign as advisors and her wife, Christine Marinoni, also recently stepped down from her role in his administration.
