While Cuomo is heavily favored in polls, and enjoys an outsize advantage in fundraising, the political landscape in New York and elsewhere is in upheaval. | AP Photo Months of animosity boil over in Cuomo, Nixon debate

HEMPSTEAD — Wednesday night was Cynthia Nixon’s first and only chance to share a stage with Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and she tried to make it count.

“If you stop lying, I will stop interrupting,” the Democratic primary challenger told the governor in one of many testy exchanges that would characterize the night.


The two wasted little time before they were at each other’s throats. Months of attacks in the press boiled over into a heated, one-hour debate, aired on CBS and hosted by Hofstra University, as the candidates managed to eke out some policy differences between leveling attacks, calling names and talking over each other.

The first question delved into fitness for office, as Nixon is a political newcomer. Cuomo’s central argument in the campaign thus far has been his experience in leadership.

“The job of governor of New York is not about advocacy; this is a real job,” Cuomo said. “Today you have to fight Donald Trump, who is the main risk to the state of New York."

The mention of President Donald Trump gave Nixon her first line of attack. She referred to Cuomo as a "corrupt corporate Democrat" unfit to fight Trump.

“You stood up to him about about as well as he stands up to Putin,” Nixon said, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Cuomo’s recent statement that America was "never that great."

It is the twin issues of political experience and Trump that have added an element of volatility to a race in which Cuomo should have the clear upper hand. Liberal animosity toward Trump, and the Democratic Party’s failings, have engendered a deep dissatisfaction among voters for centrist Democrats.

While Cuomo is heavily favored in polls, and enjoys an outsize advantage in fundraising, the political landscape in New York and elsewhere is in upheaval.

New York’s Democratic Party leaders were sent reeling in June when Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez won a shocking primary victory over Rep. Joe Crowley, a party boss. The most recent internal polls had showed Ocasio-Cortez trailing by more than 30 points. She ended up trouncing Crowley by 15 points with a message of democratic socialism that only years ago would have put her on the fringes of the mainstream party — even in liberal New York.

Nixon endorsed Ocasio-Cortez on the eve of her win and has since aligned herself with a growing insurgency in New York Democratic politics. Cuomo’s old friends in the now-defunct Independent Democratic Conference, or IDC, are feeling the heat of upstart challengers in the mold of Ocasio-Cortez.

Zephyr Teachout, an early Nixon ally who posted a surprising 35 points when she primaried Cuomo in 2014, appears to be gaining momentum in the race for attorney general. That momentum was on display during a debate Tuesday night, when Teachout suffered the brunt of attacks from her fellow three candidates — none more aggressive than Cuomo’s staunch ally, Public Advocate Tish James.

And, in what was likely a disturbing turn for the Cuomo camp, Florida voters on Tuesday sent the establishment candidate packing in favor of insurgent Democrat Andrew Gillum, who lagged in the polls behind the front-runner for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, former Rep. Gwen Graham.

Cuomo’s response to Nixon’s challenge has been to swing aggressively to the left, which Nixon supporters have dubbed the “Cynthia Effect.” The governor has only recently embraced legalizing marijuana. He is supporting a ban on plastic bags across the state, and he restored voting rights to felons on parole and helped unravel the IDC.

The fight grew nasty several times Wednesday night when Nixon tried to talk over the governor as he answered questions.

“Can you stop interrupting?” Cuomo said.

“Can you stop lying?” Nixon shot back.

Much of the debate focused on issues central to New York City — specifically, the deteriorating subway system and the sorry state of the Metropolitan Transportation Authority.

Cuomo once again attempted to distance himself from the MTA, downplaying the state’s control over the agency and insisting that New York City should be on the hook for at least half of the subway repair action plan.

The candidates were asked specifically whether they would be in favor of scrapping a fare hike scheduled for next year and have the state make up the shortfall.

“I would support canceling the fare hike, because the service is not what the people deserve; it has to be a joint funding responsibility between the city and the state,” Cuomo said. “New York City owns the transit authority; New York City has historically always funded it despite the level of the state."

Nixon agreed that the fare hike should be canceled, but she took the opportunity to chide Cuomo for his refusal to acknowledge his responsibility over the agency and pointed to several of the governor’s pet projects, such as lights on bridges and color-coordinated tiles at subway stations as misspent money that could have been used to revamp the system.

“Gov. Cuomo knows the MTA is controlled by the governor; it is a state agency, and to pretend anything else is disingenuous," Nixon said. “He’s used the MTA like an ATM, and we see the results: He’s had 7½ years to avoid this very avoidable crisis in our New York City subway, and he has done next to nothing. Why would the next four years be any different?"

Nixon’s interruptions of Cuomo appeared to get under his skin. At one point Cuomo accused Nixon of "living in a world of fiction" and of being a corporation and seeking favors from Mayor Bill de Blasio’s office, with whom she is closely aligned.

Neither candidate, though, would say they wanted de Blasio's endorsement in the race, when pressed by moderators.

Nixon aides brushed off the candidate’s interruptions following the debate, saying the campaign is confident it had connected with a larger audience that might not yet be familiar with Nixon’s platform.

“I think we definitely accomplished what we needed to accomplish tonight,” L. Joy Williams, senior adviser to the Nixon campaign, told POLITICO. “Cynthia is in the same boat as thousands of New Yorkers in this state ... he betrayed us, he failed us, and we need a new champion.”

Lis Smith, senior adviser to the Cuomo campaign, described Nixon’s debate style as “disrespectful and rude,” brushing off suggestions that Nixon had managed to rankle Cuomo.

“It was clear going into the debate she needed a dynamic changer and a knockout punch, and she completely whiffed,” Smith said. “From the first question, where she couldn’t explain what in her background, or what experience she has to run the state, through her efforts to interrupt the governor and get under his skin. She showed she doesn’t have the experience or temperament to be governor.”

Albany’s seemingly never-ending corruption scandals also took center stage, with Nixon accusing the governor of enabling IDC Democrats. Nixon was also quick to mention corruption scandals in the governor’s inner circle. In the past year, both Joe Percoco, a close Cuomo adviser, and SUNY Polytechnic Institute founder Alain Kaloyeros, were convicted on corruption charges.

Cuomo defended himself, saying he is in favor of campaign finance reform and banning outside income for legislators. He also pointed out again that he has not been implicated in his former aides’ wrongdoings.

“Mr. Percoco did something wrong. It was very painful,” Cuomo said. “He’s going to pay his price; everybody agrees that I had nothing to do with it.”

Craig Burnett, assistant professor of political science at Hofstra University, said both candidates dispatched themselves well during the exchange.

“We have watched a very spirited debate of which I think both sides are going to be fairly happy with, actually,” Burnett told POLITICO. “Did she get the governor to fall on his face? No. Would that have been better for her? Yes. You’d have to say it’s more or less even in terms of what they wanted to achieve."

The primary is Sept. 13.

