Former “Sex and the City” actress, Tony winner and current New York gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon has a politically famous last name. But is she actually part of a political dynasty?
Is Cynthia Nixon related to Richard Nixon?
The answer is probably good for her political prospects. No, Cynthia Nixon is not related to disgraced 37th President Richard Nixon, who resigned in 1974 as the Watergate scandal began to devour his presidency.
On a recent visit to “Late Show With Stephen Colbert,” Nixon, a longtime New York City resident, explained why her campaign slogan is “Cynthia for NY” and nixes her surname. “My mother used to say that she grew up during World War II with a father named Adolf, and then she lived through the 1970s with a husband named Nixon,” she said. “So I am aware of the dubious nature of my last name—but I also have to say, if I was given a choice, I would rather be the good Nixon than the bad Cuomo.”
Youch. Nixon has been sharply critical of current New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, whom she views as insufficiently progressive. Nixon argues that New York should be more liberal, similar to California, on issues like legal marijuana and economic inequality. (She also vows to fix the beleaguered subway.)
“We’re a proudly Democratic state, but we’ve got a governor in there who governs like a Republican,” she said on Colbert. “He says he works with the Republicans, but frankly, often at times it looks more like he works for the Republicans.”
This is Nixon’s first run for public office, although she has been a public-schools activist for years. The Democratic primary is in September.
A recent Siena College poll found that Cuomo leads Nixon among registered Democrats, 58 percent to 27 percent. Cuomo has a 62 percent favorability rating among New York state Democrats, compared to Nixon’s 33 percent favorability rating.
