Actress Cynthia Nixon enters race for New York governor
New York, March 20 (IANS) Best known for her role as Miranda in the hit TV series “Sex and the City”, actress and activist Cynthia Nixon has officially entered the race for the governor of New York, challenging incumbent Andrew M. Cuomo who is seeking his third term, the media reported.
“I love New York, and today I’m announcing my candidacy for governor,” the 51-year-old tweeted on Monday, along with a video.
“I’ve never lived anywhere else… But something has to change. We want our government to work again, on health care, 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.”
Nixon will challenge Cuomo in the state’s Democratic primary in September, reports CNN.
Nixon is forming a team of alumni of the New York political sphere, including Rebecca Katz and Bill Hyers — who worked on New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio’s first campaign — to help her ahead of the primary.
Katz will work on the campaign as a senior strategist. Nicole Aro, who recently worked as the American Federation of Labour and Congress of Industrial Organizations’ director or digital strategies, will serve as campaign manager.
The Tony, Grammy and Emmy Award-winner was among the star-studded cast of actors, entertainers and activists who came together for “the People’s State of the Union” in January, an alternative event to President Donald Trump’s first State of the Union speech.
“Our democracy is under attack, and we Americans need to cherish and to fight for it,” Nixon had said.
The mother of three, who is married to activist Christine Marinoni, has also been vocal about education issues, and she served on de Blasio’s advisory board for the Mayor’s Fund to Advance New York City, reports CNN.
She was recently honoured by the Human Rights Campaign with its Visibility Award for her work advocating for marriage equality and fighting stigma and prejudice.
Nixon’s campaign said in a statement that she will spend the coming weeks travelling across the state to hear from voters.
