Actress Cynthia Nixon running for governor of New York
NEW YORK (FOX5NY.COM) - In a tweet posted Monday afternoon, actress Cynthia Nixon of "Sex and the City" fame announced that she is running for governor of New York.
The tweet includes a video and a link to a campaign donation page called "Cynthia for NY."
"New York is my home. I've never lived anywhere else," Nixon says in narration to the video that opens with shots of her and her family. "New York is where I was raised and where I'm raising my kids. I'm a proud public school graduate and a prouder public school parent."
In recent years, Nixon, 51, has been vocal and visible for progressive causes. She supports New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and has openly criticized Gov. Andrew Cuomo, both Democrats. Her wife, Christine Marinoni, until recently worked for de Blasio.
Nixon will likely face a hard road against Cuomo in a Democratic primary. A Siena College poll conducted before her official announcement showed that Cuomo, a two-term governor, leads Nixon 66 percent to 19 percent in a hypothetical primary matchup.
In response to Nixon's announcement, Cuomo's campaign released a statement pointing to his "real progressive wins," including marriage equality, gun laws, the $15 minimum wage, and more.
"It's great that we live in a democracy where anyone can run for office," the campaign said. "We look forward to building on that record as we continue to fight and deliver for New York families statewide."
Nixon has said that Democrats all over the country need to embrace their liberal identity and not just be the "anti-Trump party."
"We want our government to work again, on health care, ending mass incarceration, fixing our broken subway," she narrates in her video. "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's fundraising page reads that "Cynthia hasn't been bought and paid for by special interests and won't be accepting any corporate contributions in this campaign." That could add to the challenge of trying to match Cuomo's war chest, which is reported to be north of $30 million.
Nixon played Miranda Hobbes on the HBO show "Sex and the City" for six seasons, from 1998 to 2004, and in two subsequent feature films. Since then, the show has built a large worldwide following through syndicated reruns.
Her "Sex and the City" costar Kristin Davis, who played Charlotte, showed her support via Twitter: "I am so proud of @CynthiaNixon, no one cares more than she does about EVERY person getting a fair change and a good education. I know that she would be an excellent Governor!"
With the AP