Cynthia Nixon Doubted She’d Win New York Governor Race

Cynthia Nixon’s turn to politics came as a surprise to many earlier this year, and although she ultimately didn’t win in her Democratic primary race for governor of New York, she still managed to make a big enough impact. Speaking with New York magazine Editor-in-Chief Adam Moss at Vulture Festival Los Angeles, Nixon spoke candidly about the whole experience, explaining that she never really thought she was going to win despite her best efforts.

“No,” she answered bluntly. “I hoped I would win. I tried to win. I’m proud of how much money [Cuomo] had to spend.” Andrew Cuomo, who beat her in in the race for New York governor, reportedly outspent her ten to one, pumping in a ridiculous $25 million on his campaign against her. “It’s a big, big, big mountain to climb,” she added. During the talk, she even made sure to take a few last digs at Cuomo, adding that he “doesn’t really like other Democrats,” and that he “doesn’t like to pay for things. It’s why he won’t fund schools or rescue the subway.”

Despite losing out to Cuomo, she still considers her campaign a win. “Just being able to get out there and say, ‘we could do so much better in New York state, and here’s how,’ and actually having that message really fly because of how much coverage we got, I think that was a victory,’” she explained.