Democratic Candidate for NY Governor

Actor and activist

1988, Barnard College at Columbia University, B.A. English

Nixon has also been endorsed by major progressive groups including Indivisible, New York City DSA, Buffalo DSA, Syracuse DSA, Brooklyn Young Democrats (BYD), the Muslim Democratic Club of New York (MDCNY), Indivisible Brooklyn, the Jewish Vote, Our Revolution, Justice Democrats, the Progressive Change Campaign Committee, Make the Road Action, New York Communities for Change, Citizen Action, the New York Progressive Action Network, Tenants PAC, 350 Action, and the Working Families Party.

For the last 17 years, Cynthia has been fighting for better schools and more equitable education funding all across the state, including as a spokesperson and organizer for the Alliance for Quality Education, which helped to reverse hundreds of million in education budget cuts. Cynthia has traveled the state, met with legislators, and spoken out in Albany on numerous occasions to demand that public schools in every district get the resources they need, regardless of income level.

Cynthia is also a well-known, outspoken advocate for LGBT equality. In 2010, Cynthia helped create Fight Back New York, an effort to remove state Senators opposed to same-sex marriage. The campaign ultimately raised $800,000 and helped elect three new Senators in support of marriage equality. Cynthia worked with the Empire State Pride Agenda to fight for marriage equality in New York state, and traveled around the country to support similar efforts in Maryland, Washington, and New Jersey.

Additionally, Cynthia has pushed for women’s reproductive rights, including representing Planned Parenthood in Albany to advocate for the full Women’s Equality Agenda, including the right to choose.

I was born in New York City, and I grew up in a one-bedroom fifth floor walk-up with my mom. I’m a proud public school graduate, and these days, an even prouder public school parent. For the last 17 years, I’ve traveled across this state to fight for better schools, LGBTQ equality, and women’s health care, including the right to choose. New York has become the single most unequal state in the country. This crushing inequality isn’t something that just happens. It’s not an accident. It was a choice. I’m running for governor because I love this state. New York is the only place I’ve ever lived, and I wouldn’t have it any other way. But I know that we can do better. We need a New York that works for all of us – a New York for the many, not just the few.