FAQ: Why We Are Endorsing Cynthia Nixon (and not Andrew Cuomo) for Governor

(Originally published at Medium)

Q: Cuomo’s a bit of a stick-in-the-mud, but he’s not that bad, right?

A: Governor Cuomo has enabled Republican control of the State Senate by signing one of the most extreme GOP redistricting plans in the country and has used the Independent Democratic Conference (IDC) — a group of breakaway Democrats — to block progressive legislation and protect the interests of his Wall Street donors.

Q: What about those good things he did five years ago?

A: All of Cuomo’s signature achievements have been the product of thousands of activists and union members working tirelessly to move him on the issues. When it comes to Cuomo and progressive reform, it’s always a shotgun wedding.

Q: Will Cynthia Nixon be good for Upstate?

A: Yes. Cynthia understands that a healthy economy is built from the bottom up, not the top down. She’s committed to fully funding our schools, investing in our bus and transit systems, and expanding access to quality, affordable housing.

For eight years Governor Cuomo has starved our schools and local infrastructure, all the while handing massive breaks to large corporations and real estate developers as part of a failed trickle-down economic strategy.

Q: Is Cynthia experienced enough to be Governor?

A: Cynthia Nixon has been a prominent education advocate and community activist for nearly two decades. Historically, arbitrary and ever-shifting measures of experience have been used to keep talented women and people of color from gaining political power. We need a more inclusive definition of experience.

Q: How will Cynthia fare in the general election?

A: This is a blue wave year. People are energized and ready to get to work. If there was ever a time to elect a progressive Governor, it’s right now!