Cynthia Nixon Comes To Brownsville To Speak Her Mind

Cynthia Nixon Comes To Brownsville To Speak Her Mind
Cynthia Nixon by Kadia Goba/BKLYNER

BROWNSVILLE – A day after officially announcing her New York State gubernatorial run, Cynthia Nixon delivered a fiery speech in front of almost 100 local residents and reporters in Brownsville yesterday.

Following months of a rumored gubernatorial run, Nixon, best known for her role as Miranda Hobbes on the HBO series, Sex and The City, released a video on Monday officially announcing her bid to unseat incumbent, Gov. Andrew Cuomo. Like her two-minute video, yesterday Nixon flaunted her life-long New York connection. Nixon also made clear her stance on the state’s most impactful policies along with her grievances towards opponent, Gov. Andrew Cuomo at Bethesda Healing Center at 167 East 98th St.

“I got here just in the nick of time, said Nixon. “I allowed an hour and a half of what should have been a 30-minute ride –– Cuomo’s MTA,” said Nixon.

The celebrity turned politician did not hold back as she blamed Cuomo for much of what is ailing her hometown New York. Nixon touched on economic inequality citing statistics that plague the state.

“The top one percent of New Yorkers earn 45 times what the other 99 percent earn combined,” said Nixon who called the disparity, “crushing” and blamed Cuomo’s governorship as the root of the problem. Nixon said her opponent’s tax breaks helped billionaire’s and large interest groups including the Koch brothers who have donated to Cuomo’s campaign.

On the political front, Nixon made it clear where she stands on the Independent Democratic Conference (IDC). The candidate accused Cuomo of encouraging a backroom deal with the eight breakaway New York Senate Democrats –– a play Nixon said helped Republicans keep control of the state Senate.

Nixon also said Cuomo allowed Republican’s to draw their own gerrymandered district maps, a policy she claims mostly suppressed Democratic voters of color.

“And with these two moves, Andrew Cuomo gave the Republican Party in New York State the power to block almost all of our big Democratic legislative priorities,” said Nixon.

Nixon did not miss an opportunity to hint at corruption on the state level. The candidate pointed out Cuomo’s ties to long-time aide and close family friend, Joseph Percoco, who was found guilty of three corruption-related charges earlier this month.

“If Washington is a swamp, then Albany is a cesspool,” said Nixon drawing parallels to Percoco, Cuomo and the governor’s $31 million campaign war chest of which only .1 percent comes from small donors.

Touting 17 years as an education advocate, the candidate highlighted her efforts on and trips to Albany in protest.

“Today New York schools are the second most unequal in the entire country, and the gap between the richest and the poorest schools has grown wider today under Andrew Cuomo than it’s ever been.”

While critics place Nixon in the same celebrity pot as President Trump, her inexperience in government does not seem to bother local residents who came to see the actor speak.

Winsome Pendergrass by Kadia Goba/BKLYNER

Winsome Pendergrass, a Flatbush resident who learned of the event from New York Communities for Change, said she wasn’t concerned about Nixon not having held a political position.

“Well if Donald Trump is in there I don’t see why she can’t go,” said Pendergrass.

Nixon will face the current governor, Andrew Cuomo in a June 26th primary.