Image copyright AFP Image caption Ms Nixon fought her campaign as a left-wing challenger to the current governor, Andrew Cuomo.

Sex and the City actress Cynthia Nixon has lost in her bid to be the Democratic nominee for New York governor.

Ms Nixon fought her campaign as a left-wing challenger to the current governor, Andrew Cuomo.

With 93% of precincts reporting, Mr Cuomo had gained 65% of the vote to Ms Nixon's 35%.

Mr Cuomo has been the state's governor since 2011 and will face a general election in the state on 6 November.

The result comes at a time when left-leaning Democrats have sought to challenge their party's establishment.

Media playback is unsupported on your device Media caption Young activists have been at the heart of recent progressive Democratic campaigns

In the wake of her defeat, Ms Nixon said on Twitter that she was "not discouraged" but "inspired" by the result, urging her supporters to continue their progressive campaigns.

Mr Cuomo had an incumbency advantage over Ms Nixon and was able to vastly outspend his opponent.

He gained a celebrity endorsement from rapper Nicki Minaj, who urged her followers on Twitter to vote for Mr Cuomo, saying he and his team "know how to work for the people to make NY even GREATER".

But Minaj's fellow rapper and rival Cardi B backed Ms Nixon in an Instagram post.

More women candidates than ever will contest US governorships and House seats in November's mid-term elections.

Many candidates selected by Democratic electorates have been from the party's young and diverse progressive wing - urging talk of an anti-Trump "blue wave" in Congress.

President Trump has warned that his policies will be "violently" overturned if the Democrats win November's mid-term elections.

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