De Blasio Or Putin Behind Cynthia Nixon's Governor Bid: Cuomo

NEW YORK, NY — Who's behind Cynthia Nixon's possible run for governor? Gov. Andrew Cuomo says one of two poeple is pulling the strings — Mayor Bill de Blasio or Russian President Vladimir Putin. The governor took a dismissive stance toward the "Sex and the City" actress Wednesday, saying her fame wouldn't help her in a statewide election.

Nixon, an outspoken education activist, is reportedly assembling a campaign staff to run against Cuomo in a Democratic primary. She hasn't officially decided whether to enter the race. But the move would give the governor a challenger with a sizeable public platform, which he's so far avoided as he seeks a third term this year.

Nixon is an ally of de Blasio, Cuomo's fellow Democrat and political nemesis. She's reportedly working with two of the mayor's former political consultants, Rebecca Katz and Bill Hyers. And her wife, Christine Marinoni, works for the city Department of Education.

Asked on a conference call Wednesday whether he thought de Blasio put Nixon up to challenging him, Cuomo responded in jest, saying he thought the question raised "an important topic of interference in elections ... and campaign aides from Vladimir Putin getting involved."

"I think it was probably either the mayor of New York or Vladimir Putin," Cuomo said. He then cackled heartily and added, "Russian interference?"

Nixon is reportedly forming alliances with progressive groups, including the Working Families Party and the Alliance for Quality Education, an advocacy organization. In a speech at a Human Rights Campaign event last month, she reportedly called for the election of "better Democrats" who offer a true progressive alternative to President Donald Trump.

But Cuomo said her celebrity status won't be enough to carry her campaign on its own.

"Normally, name recognition is relevant when it has some connection to the endeavor," Cuomo said. "But if it’s just about name recognition, then I’m hoping that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie and Billy Joel don’t get into the race, because if it's just about name recognition, that would really be a problem."

De Blasio's behind-the-scenes support for Nixon isn't out of the realm of possibility, given his rivalry with Cuomo and dislike of the state Senate's Indepedent Democratic Conference, a group of Democrats who control the chamber with Republicans in a unique coalition. Cuomo has faced criticism for not doing enough to help mainline Democrats take control of the Senate.

De Blasio didn't deny encouraging Nixon to run. He called her "one of the strongest voices in the state" on education issues, but said he didn't want to discuss private conversations with a friend.

But he also seemed to question the governor's progressive credentials. In an interview with The Young Turks published Wednesday, the mayor said he expects a "spirited" primary challenge to Cuomo from the left and didn't rule out endorsing such a challenger.

"I just think, in the end, there’s a reckoning occurring all over this nation in our party," de Blasio said at an unrelated news conference Wednesday. "It’s time for Democrats to be Democrats."

Asked if he thought Russia was poking around in New York politics, the mayor said, "I think it’s very important you call Vladimir Putin directly and ask him."

Cuomo fired back on NY1 Wednesday afternoon, touting his victories in securing a $15 minimum wage, legalizing same-sex marriage and passing a strong gun-control law while calling de Blasio's handling of the city's problems "repugnant."

"I don't think progressive politics is a function of rhetoric and words, I think it's a function of results," Cuomo said. "My whole tenure has been about getting progressive things done."

(Lead image: Cynthia Nixon speaks at an award ceremony in New York City on November 2017. Photo by Mike Coppola/Getty Images for IFP)