Tag: Cynthia Nixon

 The Story: On Thursday, September 13, Democratic Party voters in New York supported their incumbent Governor, Andrew Cuomo, over a primary challenge from activist/actress Cynthia...

As progressive reformers organized challenges to IDC-aligned senators in this years primaries, the group was disbanded. All eight state senators who had been associated with the IDC were challenged in Democratic primaries Thursday. The biggest victory for the challengers—and for the unions and grassroots activists with groups such as the Working Families Party and Citizen Action of New York that campaigned against the IDC-tied incumbents—was that of Alessandra Biaggi, who got a lot of street-level and social-media campaign help from Ocasio-Cortez for her challenge to a former IDC leader Jeffrey Klein. “There are five times as many Democrats as Republicans in District 34 and yet for seven years, my opponent led the Independent Democratic Conference (IDC), a group of 8 New York state senators who ran and were elected as Democrats, but then went to Albany to caucus and vote only with Republicans, handing control of the State Senate to the GOP. The Climate Change and Community Protection Act. Biaggi, who ran with the support of The New York Times, as well as Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, New York City Comptroller Scott Stringer, the Working Families Party, and Service Employees International Union local 32BJ, reminded voters that the election provided an opportunity to diversify the legislature and state politics. City & State New York noted that “Salazar ran on a platform of universal rent control and single-payer health care, but she made national headlines when media reports challenged the working class, immigrant, Jewish image Salazar presented on the campaign trail. Stories about Salazar’s past, which featured prominently in the city’s tabloid dailies, appeared to have little impact on the ground in New York’s Senate District 18, where she was pulling 58 percent of the vote after campaigning “as an advocate, a tenant, a feminist, a democratic socialist, a union member, and a proud daughter of an immigrant family.” Other progressive contenders—including Nixon and Williams, who came close to upsetting Cuomo’s running mate in the contest for lieutenant governor—ran with support from the New York City chapter of DSA. But Salazar campaigned as an active member of DSA’s largest local, which on Thursday night announced that “NYC-DSA has built a movement to send one of our own to Albany.” The change in Albany will be dramatic as a new generation of insurgents and reformers arrives. And the legislature will be populated by a state senators like Alessandra Biaggi, who claimed her victory as a signal that New Yorkers would no longer “tolerate Democrats who would be empowering Republicans.”

Democratic New York governor Andrew Cuomo has said the so-called insurgent progressive wave in his party is “not even a ripple”, arguing that it’s pragmatists like him who can get things done who are the true progressives. The governor, viewed as a potential 2020 presidential contender, used a victory lap press conference on Friday to make a forceful case for his own vision of the party. New York primary: governor Andrew Cuomo defeats Cynthia Nixon Read more “I’m not a socialist. I’m not 25 years old … I’m not a newcomer,” he told reporters at his Manhattan office. “Where was that effect yesterday? Where was it?” Cuomo asked. Play Video 3:47 The statewide primary this week, by contrast, saw a spike in turnout, and Cuomo bragged that he got more primary votes than any governor in history. “That is a wave,” he said. And after Cuomo hosted an event alongside Hillary Clinton to mark the opening of a new bridge named for his father, the span was forced to stay closed due to structural dangers. “A progressive Democrat, a Democrat in New York state – these are not ivory tower academics.

Ramos hopes to unseat IDC member Jose Peralta. Despite that partisan gerrymander, New York Democrats still managed to claw together a narrow Senate majority in 2012—but that victory was instantly thwarted by four nominally Democratic state Senators who, calling themselves “Independent Democrats,” joined in a power-sharing agreement with the minority to keep control of the State Senate in Republican hands. Led by women and the emergent progressive movement, 10 Democrats in the New York State Senate face primary challenges (eight IDC members, one Democrat who outright caucuses with Republicans, and one centrist mainline Democrat), of which at least half are likely to be successful. All of these passed the Democratic-controlled State Assembly with ease, but couldn’t get through the Senate because IDC members had ensured Republican control of the chamber. From the New York Health Act (a state single-payer insurance plan) to a green jobs bill, from universal rent control to a universal-basic-income pilot project, these candidates campaign for the things progressives across the country want to see on legislative dockets. In January, Jessica Ramos, a former de Blasio aide and Democratic district leader, announced she was taking on Senator Jose Peralta in the 13th, an ethnically diverse district in Queens. Biaggi is running to unseat Jeff Klein—the leader of the Independent Democratic Conference for seven years. With Liu on the ballot, every incumbent IDC member will have a well-organized challenger. Many in the New York City Council have endorsed anti-IDC challengers, as has much of the New York state’s Congressional delegation, including, most recently, Senator Kirsten Gillibrand. They will control both halves of the legislature and the governor’s mansion, and that makes the next legislative session among the most important in the history of the state—and it maybe makes New York’s next legislative session one of the most consequential in the country.

Kathy Hochul – a former congresswoman from western New York who had been Cuomo's running mate in 2014 – is facing a fierce challenge from Jumaane Williams of Brooklyn, who is serving his third term as a New York City councilman. If Williams is indeed elected as lieutenant governor, he has promised to provide a check-and-balance in the mold of the more adversarial role the New York City Public Advocate has played to the New York City mayor. It also took place the same day as the only debate between Cuomo and Nixon, almost ensuring it would get little coverage. Questioned repeatedly about the matter in a radio interview last week with WNYC host Brian Lehrer, Hochul would only say that an unspecified "scheduling conflict" had submarined the debate. Nixon supporters argue that Cuomo has only shifted to the left on many issues due to her primary challenge. Hochul said that is not necessary. Cuomo needs someone else to tell him to do what's right," Hochul said. That took place as recently as 2008, when then-Lt. Gov. Hochul noted in a recent interview that abortion rights may be under threat nationally as conservative U.S. Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh is on a path to confirmation. Williams noted that in 2007, Hochul, as Erie County clerk, had vowed to have undocumented immigrants arrested if they applied for drivers' licenses.

Mr. Cuomo has a 30-point lead over Ms. Nixon in every poll, but in several races this year, the polls have been notably wrong. Ms. James, the New York City public advocate, is backed by the Democratic Party in New York. “She has widely been seen as the front-runner,” Mr. Goldmacher said, “but in a televised debate last week, everyone was focused on Zephyr Teachout, who won the endorsement of The New York Times’s editorial board and seems to have some new energy in her campaign.” He added: “The attorney general’s race is getting less attention, but don’t forget that this is one of the single races of most interest to President Trump in the country because of all the investigation potential into his businesses and foundation.” Lieutenant Governor: Kathy Hochul is the lieutenant governor, and her Democratic challenger is Jumaane Williams. “Hi, excuse me.” I said, “Would you mind pulling up a bit so I could squeeze in behind you?” No response. He pulled the Jeep up, and I backed into the empty spot easily. Turning off the ignition, I decided to ask the man if he would evaluate my parking job. As I approached the Jeep, the man was reaching out the window with his hand open. You can thank New York for that. Many had indeed enjoyed a full turkey dinner.” The honor system seemed to work well for the company, until it didn’t. For New York Today updates throughout the day, like us on Facebook.

Former ICE agent David Ward challenges Governor Cuomo, asking 'Who else are they gonna ge to do it?' after the New York governor called ICE agents 'thugs' in a debate. FOX News Channel (FNC) is a 24-hour all-encompassing news service…

Democratic New York gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon joins Morning Joe to discuss her recent debate with incumbent Andrew Cuomo and the coming Democratic primary. » Subscribe to MSNBC: http://on.msnbc.com/SubscribeTomsnbc About: MSNBC is the premier destination for in-depth analysis of daily…

Former ICE acting director and Fox New contributor Tom Homan calls the governor's comment 'disgusting.' FOX News Channel (FNC) is a 24-hour all-encompassing news service dedicated to delivering breaking news as well as political and business news. The number one…

Democratic primary challenger Cynthia Nixon argues her opponent, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, is weak when it comes to President Trump.