Cynthia Nixon Moves Toward Run For NY Governor: Reports

NEW YORK, NY — "Sex and the City" star Cynthia Nixon is taking concrete steps toward a challenge to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, according to news reports Tuesday. Nixon, an education activist, has brought on political consultants Rebecca Katz and Bill Hyers, who worked on Mayor Bill de Blasio's 2013 run, as she starts to build a campaign staff, NY1 reported.

Nixon has reportedly mulled a Democratic primary challenge to Cuomo for months. But she's recently taken to studying transportation policy, which is seen as a political vulnerability for the second-term governor given recent failures in New York City's subway system, The New York Times reported.

Nixon has also talked with the minor Working Families Party and the Alliance for Quality Education, an advocacy group, as she considers a bid, the New York Daily News reported.

"Many concerned New Yorkers have been encouraging Cynthia to run for office, and as she has said previously, she will continue to explore it," Rebecca Capellan, Nixon's publicist, said in a statement to the Times. "If and when such a decision is made, Cynthia will be sure to make her plans public."

Former state Sen. Terry Gipson has also mounted a primary challenge against Cuomo. But Nixon's entrance into the gubernatorial race would give the governor a well known challenger from the left as he seeks a third four-year term.

Cuomo would likely have a big financial advantage in the race. He had more than $30 million in his campaign account as of January, according to his most recent state Board of Elections filing. Nixon hasn't created a state campaign committee yet.

Cuomo declined to comment on Nixon's possible run on an unrelated conference call Tuesday. Asked if he was bothered that she'd reportedly hired two former advisers to de Blasio, his political nemesis, the governor said, "In this business, you can’t let these things bother you. Otherwise you won’t last long."

(Lead image: Cynthia Nixon speaks at the People's State of the Union event in January 2018. Photo by Cindy Ord/Getty Images for We Stand United)