DFA backs Cynthia Nixon for Governor of New York

Democracy for America (DFA) today announced that it would be endorsing progressive activist and actor Cynthia Nixon in her race to become the next Governor of New York.

DFA Executive Director Charles Chamberlain on the grassroots progressive group’s decision to endorse Cynthia Nixon in New York’s race for Governor:

"Democracy for America is thrilled to announce our endorsement of Cynthia Nixon, the real progressive in the race for Governor of New York.

"For 17 years, Cynthia Nixon has been a leading voice and on-the-ground fighter for public education, women's rights, LGBTQ equality, and protecting New York’s environment from corporate polluters.

"Cynthia has brought that same unrelenting zeal for bold ideas and bottom-up change to the race for Governor. Over the last month, she's started building a strong grassroots campaign across New York state that is not only putting forward the inclusive populist agenda that's driving the debate but engaging the coalition of young voters, voters of color, and women she needs to win the primary.

"Governor Andrew Cuomo is clearly rattled and that's why New Yorkers are seeing him scrambling to push out progressive reforms after working for years with Republicans and fake Democrats to block them.

"But let's be clear: Cuomo only acts like a progressive when he's being challenged by powerful progressive women capable of defeating him. New Yorkers aren’t going to be fooled by Cuomo’s new “progressive” dog-and-pony show.

"With Cynthia Nixon, the proudly progressive state of New York finally has the chance to have a governor in Albany who shares their values in the battle for racial and economic justice --and DFA members across the state and nationwide will stand side by side with her in this fight." -- Charles Chamberlain, Executive Director, Democracy for America

DFA has 150,027 members in the state of New York and more than one million members nationwide.

As a part of its work in the 2018 election cycle, Democracy for America intends to raise and spend more than $12 million in support of progressive candidates, make more than 2 million voter contacts, and support more than 250 candidates nationwide -- like Cynthia Nixon -- in running inclusive populist campaigns committed to turning out the New American Majority of people of color and progressive white voters in November.

Cynthia Nixon on receiving DFA’s endorsement of her New York gubernatorial race:

"I am very grateful to receive this endorsement from Democracy for America. DFA knows that campaigns are built from the bottom-up -- through grassroots canvassing, phone-banking, and fundraising. I am excited to work with DFA in building a progressive movement here in New York." -- Cynthia Nixon

As governor, Cynthia Nixon would fight for a progressive agenda in New York by supporting policies to provide health care for all, legalize recreational marijuana, end mass incarceration, and take corporate money out of politics. Cynthia believes the state should take more proactive and aggressive measures to protect New York’s immigrant communities, and that New York should be at the forefront of protecting our environment by transitioning New York to 100% renewable energy.

Nixon is the seventh gubernatorial endorsement DFA has made in the 2018 election cycle. Other gubernatorial endorsements the national grassroots progressive group has made this cycle includes Stacey Abrams in Georgia, Abdul El-Sayed in Michigan, David Garcia in Arizona, Andrew Gillum in Florida, Ben Jealous in Maryland, and Paulette Jordan in Idaho.

Democracy for America is a member-driven, people-powered progressive PAC with more than one million members nationwide committed to taking on income inequality, money in politics, and structural racism. Since its 2004 founding, DFA members have raised and spent more than $54 million and made more than 21.9 million volunteer calls to help successfully elect 917 progressive candidates nationwide.