The Nation Endorses Cynthia Nixon: The ‘Progressive Champion’ New York Deserves

The Nation has endorsed activist and former Sex and the City star Cynthia Nixon to be New York’s next governor. Citing her career as an “advocate” for “workers and citizens,” the Left-wing magazine described Nixon as “a proven fighter not just for education, but for marriage equality and women’s rights.”

From the Nation:

Ever since Cynthia Nixon announced her long-shot campaign to become New York’s next governor, the current incumbent has been a changed man. Not only has Andrew Cuomo publicly reconsidered his longtime opposition to legalizing marijuana and issued an executive order restoring voting rights to felons who have been released on parole, he also spoke out against the wave of federal immigration raids across the state. After first refusing to endorse a $19 billion plan to overhaul New York City’s crumbling subways, the governor now supports it.

The rap on Nixon, spread in part by the governor’s sound machine, is that she’s an unqualified lightweight, a politically correct, liberal TV star gaining attention simply because of her celebrity. It’s true that Nixon is not a career politician. She doesn’t have a record of government service, and there’s no question that her celebrity is central to her ability to challenge Cuomo. But we live in a world where money talks, and Cuomo’s $30 million war chest—hardly any of it from small donors—has frightened off most challengers.

In the end, this election—like all elections—is a referendum on the future. Do we want four more years of pay-to-play, where developers and political insiders call the shots? Or do we want a state government devoted to improving the lives of working people, with mass-transit systems that function, fully funded schools, criminal-justice reform, and health care and decent housing for all? Because if we do, there is only one candidate on the ballot in September who will even try to deliver those things. Her name is Cynthia Nixon, and she deserves your vote.

Read the Nation’s full endorsement here.