Cynthia Nixon Says Andrew Cuomo Was 'Empowering Republicans' as Governor

Newsweek

5 hours ago

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
Cynthia Nixon said former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, eyeing a political comeback, was "empowering Republicans" during his time leading New York during an Editorial Lunch discussion at Newsweek's Manhattan office on Wednesday.
Newsweek reached out to a spokesperson for Cuomo for comment via email.
Why It Matters
Cuomo is viewed as a frontrunner to win the Democratic primary next Tuesday in New York City's mayoral election in most polls, though some indicate progressive State Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani has gained traction in the final stretch of the campaign. If he wins the primary, he would be the favorite in the November general election and would be tasked with leading the nation's largest city. Cuomo has cast himself as a centrist focused on issues like public safety and affordability.
Nixon, an actress known for roles such as Miranda Hobbes on Sex and the City and a progressive activist, challenged Cuomo in the 2018 gubernatorial primary race. Although her campaign garnered national attention and support from more progressive Democrats, she fell short against the then-incumbent at the polls. She discussed her gubernatorial run during the discussion with Newsweek.
What to Know
Nixon said she decided to run for governor because she felt "no one else" on the left was prepared to challenge him out of concerns of vindication. However, she felt she would be "insulated from his attacks."
"I also thought, in a funny way, I don't have any real belief that I'm going to get elected. So it's not like I'm going to take a risk and fail," she said. "It's like, 'I'm going to do my best, I'm going to try my hardest, but I don't have any real illusions I'm really going to topple him. But I'm able to do a lot of other things.'"
Her campaign brought attention to Democrats who were part of the Independent Democratic Conference (IDC), a coalition of moderates who engaged in a power-sharing agreement with Republicans, she said. Cuomo faced criticism during his tenure for not doing more to break up the coalition, and he eventually worked to broker a deal to do so in 2018 amid Nixon's challenge.
Cynthia Nixon speaks during a discussino in Newsweek's office in New York City on June 18, 2025.
Cynthia Nixon speaks during a discussino in Newsweek's office in New York City on June 18, 2025.
Vivek Kemp for Newsweek
Nixon said she believes her campaign helped empower candidates who primaried those IDC members.
"I've been able to bring attention to these IDC candidates who were trying to unseat these Democrats, and we succeeded in unseating them, who are caucusing Republicans to the Republicans' control of New York State Senate. And you know, I can champion a whole host of this progressive legislation that has been bottled up because Andrew Cuomo doesn't want it to see the light of day, which is why he's empowering the Republicans to be in charge," she said.
Nixon has supported Mamdani in the New York City mayoral race. In the 2018 primary, Nixon received 34 percent of the vote, while Cuomo won nearly 65 percent support.
Cynthia Nixon's Criticism of Democrats
Nixon criticized Democrats during the discussion, raising concerns about their ties to corporate donors and weighing in on how the party can win back support from voters who shifted to the right in recent elections.
The idea that Democrats are losing because they are too far left is "nonsense," Nixon said.
She said Democrats like former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton or Vice President Kamala Harris, both of whom lost to Trump in their presidential bids, are "so indebted to their donors that they're not actually allowed to offer real solutions to people." She pointed to universal health care and ending the use of fossil fuels to mitigate climate change as two issues where donors get in the way of potential solutions for Democrats.
"There are so many ways in which our Democrats are not able to offer real solutions that you would think are bread and butter Democratic Party solutions, because they are being sentenced by corporations and big donors," Nixon said. "And so as a result, it's just very flat when they're offering, and it's not genuine."
Trump, she said, is "more genuinely himself," she said, adding it is "such a strange thing to say."
"The Democrats keep saying we're the better people, we're kinder, we're gentler, we're more inclusive, but we're not really offering people something they can take home with them, take to the bank," she said. "But the idea that we went too far left or something, that's, to me, that's nuts."
What People Are Saying
Nixon also said: "We have a price we lose when we try to go toward the center, because it's just flat and there's nothing there."
Cuomo wrote in a post to X on Wednesday: "I know how to make government work. I will bring effective, experienced leadership to City Hall."
What Happens Next
Cuomo resigned from office in 2021 over a report from Attorney General Letitia James' office alleged that he sexually harassed multiple female employees and created a toxic working environment. Whether New York voters are willing to give him another chance will be determined in the Democratic primary next Tuesday. New York City remains a Democratic stronghold, so whoever wins the primary will have an advantage against a Republican and independent Mayor Eric Adams.