Cynthia Nixon called her run for Governor of New York a fight for the "soul" of Democrats in a new interview, saying the party can't just be anti-Donald Trump and calling Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D.) "what's wrong" with New York.
Nixon, an actress and left-wing activist, has never held elected office, but she has fixed her sights on Albany in her bid for the Democratic nomination against powerful incumbent Cuomo. He is seeking a third term in office.
"This race, as with so many of the races around the country, I think are really a fight for the soul of the Democratic Party," Nixon told Erin Moriarty on "CBS Sunday Morning." "We need a Democratic Party that is giving people something to vote for, not just something to vote against. You can't just say, 'Vote for me because I'm not Donald Trump.'"
Responding to criticism that she has no prior political experience as she seeks such a significant position, Nixon said Cuomo "is what's wrong with New York State."
Cuomo mocked the idea of Nixon running before she officially announced in March, comparing her to Brad Pitt and saying she was put up for it by New York City Mayor Bill De Blasio (D.) or Vladimir Putin. She's previously countered accusations of being a mere "celebrity" candidate by saying Cuomo was also a celebrity candidate when he first ran, as the son of former New York Gov. Mario Cuomo.
"You don't have the money. You don't have the polls right now," Moriarty said.
"It is totally a David and Goliath thing. That's absolutely true," Nixon said. "But we've got three months. And if you look how far we've come in the three months since I've started running, we just need to keep talking about the issues."
Nixon has tried to outflank Cuomo in her camapign, accusing him of being insufficiently liberal and too beholden to Wall Street in a state that leans heavily Democratic. In its endorsement of Nixon, the far-left magazine The Nation said she had already caused Cuomo to swing to the left on issues like rebuilding the subway, voter rights for felons, and marijuana.
Although Cuomo remains a heavy favorite to win the nomination and another term, Nixon said, "I wouldn't write me off so quickly."