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Person

Cynthia Nixon

Nationality:

American
Occupation(s):

Actress

Political Activist

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Cynthia Nixon is an actress and political activist best known for her role as Miranda Hobbes on the HBO series “Sex and the City.” She acted in several film, stage, and TV roles and has won an Emmy, a Tony, and a Grammy. 1

In 2018, Nixon ran for governor of New York and lost to then-incumbent Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) in the Democratic primary. 2

Nixon has been an activist for increased education funding in New York as a spokesperson for the Alliance for Quality Education. Nixon further represented Planned Parenthood. She co-founded Fight Back New York PAC, which raised money to defeat state legislators who opposed same-sex marriage.1 3

Background

Cynthia Nixon grew up on the Upper West Side of Manhattan and in Yorkville with a single mother in a one-bedroom apartment. She is a graduate of New York public schools according to her political biography. 1

In a 2012 interview, Nixon said she is not related to former President Richard Nixon, “at least that I know of.” She said her family hated President Nixon and that it was “unpleasant to grow up with that name.” 3

Nixon began working as an actor when she was 12 to earn money to pay for college. She is a graduate of Barnard College at Columbia University. 1

She acted in several film, stage, and television roles and won an Emmy, a Tony, and a Grammy. Nixon was a dues-paying member to four different unions during her career. 4 Her most notable role was as Miranda Hobbes on the HBO series, “Sex and the City.”  1

Nixon won her Grammy reading the audio version of An Inconvenient Truth, the audiobook version of former Vice President Al Gore’s documentary on global warming. 1

A breast cancer survivor, she has been a spokesperson educating women about the importance of early detection. 1

Nixon identifies as bisexual. She has three children, Sam, Charlie, and Max. 2 1

She was in a relationship with David Mozes from 1998 to 2003. Nixon is married to longtime education organizer Christine Marinoni, who previously worked at the New York City Department of Education in Mayor Bill de Blasio’s (D) administration. 3 Nixon and Marinoni live in Manhattan and are members of Congregation Beit Simchat Torah, the world’s largest pro-LGBT synagogue. 1

After her defeat in the 2018 New York governor’s race, Nixon signed a deal with Netflix to star in “Ratched.” 5

In 2022, Nixon returned to her character in a reboot of “Sex and the City” called, “And Just Like That.” Nixon also starred in the HBO series “The Gilded Age.” 6

Activism

Cynthia Nixon was an advocate for the LGBT group, the Empire State Pride Agenda, through which she advocated for same-sex marriage in New York state. 1

She campaigned for same-sex marriage in Maryland, Washington, and New Jersey. 1 However, she was criticized for referring to her sexual orientation as a “choice.” 3

Nixon lobbied for 17 years for more funding for public schools. This included being a spokesperson and organizer for the Alliance for Quality Education. 1

Nixon further represented Planned Parenthood in Albany to advocate for the full “Women’s Equality Agenda,” which included expanding abortion access. 1

In 2010, Nixon helped found Fight Back New York PAC, an organization that aimed to oppose state legislators who had opposed same-sex marriage. 3 1 The campaign raised $800,000 and helped elect three new state Senators who supported same-sex marriage. 1

In 2010, GLAAD honored Cynthia with the Vito Russo Award, given each year to an LGBT media personality “who has made a significant difference in promoting equality for the LGBT community.” 1 She has also won awards from the Human Rights Campaign and was honored by the Rev. Al Sharpton’s National Action Network’s Triumph Awards. 3 1

In February 2025, Nixon said at a rally outside of New York University (NYU) that she was “mad as hell” after the school’s affiliated hospital cancelled a sex-change operation for two 12-year-olds in response to President Donald Trump’s executive order that cancelled federal funding to doctors and institutions that perform sex changes for minors. Nixon said: “I am here today as the mother of a proud trans man. I am here today as the aunt of a proud trans man. My best friend’s kid is trans, and my kid’s best friend is trans.” She added that one of her children had breast removal surgery at NYU hospital. 7 After Trump’s executive order, NYU announced it would stop performing sex-change surgeries on people under age 19. The rally was organized by the New York City Democratic Socialists of America. 8

2018 New York Gubernatorial Election Race

Cynthia Nixon ran in the 2018 New York Democratic gubernatorial primary challenging then-incumbent Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D). She was endorsed by the Working Families Party and was partially credited with pushing Cuomo to the left on legalizing marijuana and other issues. 9

Nixon said she was inspired to run for New York governor by Hillary Clinton’s (D) 2016 presidential run as well as by the 2016 campaign of U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT). 10 The Nation magazine endorsed Nixon’s campaign. 4   Bottom of Form

Nixon campaigned on having single-payer health care in the state, legalizing marijuana, increasing funding for public education, fixing the New York City subway, increasing abortion access, universal rent control, “climate justice” by divesting the state funds from the fossil fuel industry, closing jails and prisons, and “immigrant rights” through a New York DREAM Act, making New York a sanctuary state, and providing drivers licenses to illegal immigrants. Her campaign website also made several references to fighting the Trump administration, primarily on immigration and the environment. 2

Nixon identified herself as a “democratic socialist” and said her campaign was in contact with the Democratic Socialists of America, a group that backed the campaign of U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). 11

Nixon called Cuomo a corrupt liar. During the campaign, she promoted her “Sex and the City” character, Miranda Hobbes, with buttons that said, “I’m a Miranda and I’m voting for Cynthia.” 5

Christine Quinn, a Cuomo-appointed vice chair of the state Democratic Committee who previously ran for mayor of New York City, noted that she didn’t have Nixon’s support when she ran for mayor. Quinn, a lesbian, asserted: “Cynthia Nixon was opposed to having a qualified lesbian become mayor of New York City. Now she wants an unqualified lesbian to be the governor of New York. You have to be qualified and have experience. She isn’t qualified to be the governor.” The ”unqualified lesbian” comment made headlines, and Quinn apologized. 12

Governor Cuomo won 65.5 percent of the vote to win the September 13, 2018 Democratic primary, to Nixon’s 34.5 percent. 2 After the loss, Nixon said on Twitter that she was “not discouraged” but “inspired” and called for her supporters to continue their progressive campaigns. 13

The Working Families Party decided to endorse Governor Cuomo for its ballot line in the general election. However, it already endorsed Nixon, who was on its ballot line for November. Under the state’s law, the Working Families Party would have to endorse Nixon for another public office to back someone else for governor. So, it endorsed her to run for the New York State Assembly in the 66th District. Nixon said she would campaign for Democratic Assemblywoman Deborah Glick (D) in the district and not seek the office. 14

In the November 6, 2018 general election, Nixon won 17.5 percent of the vote losing to Assemblywoman Glick, who won 81.9 percent of the vote. 2

In 2021, Nixon publicly backed the women who accused Governor Cuomo of sexual harassment. She also questioned whether any woman who supported Governor Cuomo could still be a feminist. 9

Nixon said in 2021 that she would not launch another political campaign. She said, “I ran for office against Andrew Cuomo because I didn’t think he should be our governor, and nobody else would run or could run, because if you were in politics [he was a] notoriously vindictive man. You couldn’t run against him in politics… without having your career ended.” She added, “Luckily, we ran and 90% of our platform has been enacted since we ran, and he is now out of office, so everything and more that I was hoping to be accomplished has been accomplished.” 15

Political Endorsements

Cynthia Nixon was an early supporter of the 2018 congressional campaign of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY). 5

In 2020, Nixon endorsed U.S. Senator Bernie Sanders (I-VT) in the Democratic presidential primary. She campaigned for Senator Sanders in New Hampshire and Nevada, and rallied local LGBT leaders. Nixon said, “I know that Bernie is not only the candidate with the best chance to defeat Donald Trump, but also the best chance to start addressing all the things that are wrong with our country.” 16

In 2024, Nixon advocated for Vice President Kamala Harris’s presidential campaign, and wrote a piece endorsing her in The Nation. She urged New Yorkers to vote for Vice President Harris on the Working Families Party line, rather than the Democratic Party line. She wrote, “in this election season, I’m focused on using my vote to build the power of the movement that I am part of, which will ultimately win the change we are desperately fighting for.” She said voting for Vice President Harris on the Working Families Party line would be “voting for her as part of a movement that needs her to do better.” 17

References

  1. “Meet Cynthia.” Cynthia for New York. (Nixon 2018 New York Gubernatorial campaign website.) Accessed March 7, 2025. https://cynthiafornewyork.com/meet-cynthia/
  2. “Cynthia Nixon.” Ballotpedia. Accessed March 7, 2025. https://ballotpedia.org/Cynthia_Nixon
  3. Gray, Sarah. “Here’s What You Need to Know About Cynthia Nixon’s History of Political Activism.” Time. March 19, 2018. Accessed March 8, 2025. https://time.com/5206095/cynthia-nixon-politics/
  4. Editorial Board. “Cynthia Nixon for Governor: New Yorkers deserve a true progressive champion..” The Nation. June 6, 2018. Accessed March 8, 2025. https://www.thenation.com/article/archive/cynthia-nixon-governor/
  5. Nelson, Rebecca. “Cynthia Nixon Knew Her Chances of Becoming New York Governor Were Slim. One Year Later, She Has No Regrets About Running.” Time. March 19, 2019. Accessed March 7, 2025.  https://time.com/5553528/cynthia-nixon-governor-new-york-campaign/
  6. Hess, Liam. “Cynthia Nixon on the Politics of The Gilded Age and the Emancipation of Miranda Hobbes.” Vogue. February 15, 2022. Accessed March 8, 2025. https://www.vogue.com/article/cynthia-nixon-the-gilded-age-interview
  7. Burch, Sean. “Cynthia Nixon ‘Mad as Hell’ at NYU, Trump Over Canceled Trans Doctor Appointments.” The Wrap. February 4, 2025. Accessed March 7, 2025. https://www.yahoo.com/news/cynthia-nixon-mad-hell-nyu-172116735.html?guccounter=1
  8. Factora, James. “Cynthia Nixon Joins Hundreds of New Yorkers at a Rally for Gender-Affirming Care.” Them. February 5, 2025. Accessed March 7, 2025. https://www.them.us/story/cynthia-nixon-nyu-langone-health-rally-gender-affirming-care
  9. McMenamin, Lex. “Cynthia Nixon and Zephyr Teachout on Andrew Cuomo’s Legacy as New York Governor.” Teen Vogue. April 20, 2021. Accessed March 7, 2025. https://www.teenvogue.com/story/cynthia-nixon-zephyr-teachout-andrew-cuomo
  10. DeWitt, Karen. “Cynthia Nixon, in public radio interview, says Hillary’s loss inspired her run.” WXXXI News. April 5, 2018. Accessed March 7, 2025. https://www.wxxinews.org/capitol-bureau/2018-04-05/cynthia-nixon-in-public-radio-interview-says-hillarys-loss-inspired-her-run
  11. Velkind, Jimmy. “Cynthia Nixon: I’m a democratic socialist.” Politico. July 10, 2018. Accessed March 8, 2025. https://www.politico.com/states/new-york/albany/story/2018/07/10/cynthia-nixon-im-a-democratic-socialist-503279
  12.  Campbell, Jon. ”Cynthia Nixon: Five issues she’s using against Gov. Andrew Cuomo.” Democrat and Chronicle. August 23, 2018. Accessed March 8, 2025.  https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/onpolitics/2018/03/23/cynthia-nixon-five-issues-shes-using-against-gov-andrew-cuomo/453990002/
  13. “Actress Cynthia Nixon loses New York Democratic primary.” BBC. September 14, 2018. Accessed March 7, 2025. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-45518685
  14. Fink, Zack. “What Happens Now That a Party Has Voted to Pull Cynthia Nixon from its Line for the Governor’s Race.” New York 1. October 4, 2018. Accessed March 8, 2025. https://ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/politics/2018/10/04/working-families-party-votes-to-remove-cynthia-nixon-from-governor-race-general-election-ballot
  15. Parsley, Aaron. “Cynthia Nixon Won’t Run for Office Again After 2018 Race Against ‘Notoriously Vindictive’ Gov. Andrew Cuomo.” People. December 9, 2021. Accessed March 8, 2025. https://people.com/politics/cynthia-nixon-wont-run-for-office-again-after-2018-race-against-notoriously-vindictive-gov-andrew-cuomo/
  16. Press Release. “Sanders Campaign Press Release – Cynthia Nixon Endorses Bernie Sanders for President.” February 7, 2020. Accessed March 7, 2025. https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/sanders-campaign-press-release-cynthia-nixon-endorses-bernie-sanders-for-president
  17. Suter, Tara. “Cynthia Nixon urges Working Families Party vote for Harris in New York.” The Hill. November 5, 2024. Accessed March 7, 2025. https://thehill.com/blogs/in-the-know/4973498-cynthia-nixon-harris-walz/
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