“We are sick of politicians who care more about headlines and power than they do about us,” Nixon said in a video announcement Monday
Jon Levine | March 19, 2018 @ 11:27 AM
Last Updated: March 19, 2018 @ 12:28 PM
Cynthia Nixon made it official Monday, saying she would run for governor of New York in a challenge to Andrew Cuomo.
“I love New York. I’ve never lived anywhere else,” said Nixon in a promotional video released Monday. “But something has to change. We want our government to work again, on healthcare, ending mass incarceration, fixing our broken subway. We are sick of politicians who care more about headlines and power than they do about us. It can’t just be business as usual anymore.”
The announcement makes official something Nixon has teased in recent weeks. Earlier this month, Nixon’s team told TheWrap that the star was exploring all of her options.
“Many concerned New Yorkers have been encouraging Cynthia to run for office, and as she has said previously, she will continue to explore it. If and when such a decision is made, Cynthia will be sure to make her plans public,” said publicist Rebecca Sides Capellan previously.
Nixon has been critical of the Trump administration. Ahead of the State of the Union, Nixon pointed out that Trump’s first year in office has been “a dark year” for those in America “who value equal rights for all, or economic and racial justice, or want to combat climate change.”
She said that the “bleak” picture of Trump’s America has a silver lining: “America is still a democracy and the people can hold their leaders accountable,” she wrote. “That’s why it’s time to take our government back.”
Cuomo, the brother of CNN anchor Chris Cuomo, has long been a part of the New York Democratic politics. His father, Mario Cuomo, also led the state as governor for three terms between 1983 and 1994. Despite the legacy, Andrew’s leadership has come under growing criticism in recent months, with particular ire saved for regular users of New York City’s crumbling subway system.
In one instance highlighted by the New York Times, the governor diverted critical funds for city’s subways in order to bail out a bankrupt ski resort in upstate New York.
The “Sex and the City” star presents a potent challenge to Cuomo. Zephyr Teachout, an unknown primary challenger against Cuomo, snagged 34 percent of the vote in 2014.
35 Stars Who Need Only an Oscar to EGOT, From Hugh Jackman to Cynthia Erivo (Photos)
The EGOT -- an acronym for Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, Tony -- is the greatest honor in entertainment. These stars are (or were) close to achieving it.
Cynthia Nixon (1966 - )
Emmys (2): Supporting Actress in a Comedy Series, "Sex and the City" (2004); Guest Actress in a Drama Series, "Law & Order: Special Victims Unit" (2008)
Grammy: Spoken Word Album, "An Inconvenient Truth" (2008)
Tonys (2): Actress in a Play, "Rabbit Hole" (2006); Featured Actress in a Play, "Lillian Hellman's The Little Foxes" (2017)
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Lin-Manuel Miranda (1980 - )
Emmy: Original Music and Lyrics, "67th Annual Tony Awards" (2014)
Grammys (2): Best Musical Theater Album, "In the Heights" (2008) and "Hamilton" (2017)
Tonys (3): Score, "In the Heights" (2008) and "Hamilton" (2016); Musical, "Hamilton" (2016)
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Hugh Jackman (1968 - )
Emmy: Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program, "58th Annual Tony Awards" (2004)
Grammy: Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media, "The Greatest Showman" (2018)
Tony: Actor in a Musical, "The Boy From Oz" (2004)
Harry Belafonte (1927 - )
Emmy: Performance in a Variety or Musical Program or Series, "The Revlon Revue" (1960)
Grammys (2): Folk Performance, "Swing Dat Hammer" (1960); Folk Recording, "An Evening With Belafonte/Makeba" (1965)
Tony: Supporting Actor in a Musical, "John Murray Anderson's Almanac" (1954)
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Cynthia Erivo (1987 - )
Daytime Emmy: On-Camera Musical Performance in a Daytime Program, "Today" (2017)
Grammy: Musical Theater Album, "The Color Purple" (2016)
Tony: Actress in a Musical, "The Color Purple" (2016)
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Bette Midler (1945 - )
Emmys (3): Special - Comedy, Variety or Music, "Bette Midler Ol' Red Hair Is Back" (1978); Performance in a Variety or Music Program, "Bette Midler: Diva Las Vegas" (1997) and "The Tonight Show" (1992)
Grammy (3): Best New Artist (1973); Best Female Pop Vocal Performance, "The Rose" (1980); Record of the Year, "Wind Beneath My Wings" (1989)
Tony: Actress in a Musical, "Hello, Dolly!" (2017)
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Audra McDonald (1970 - )
Emmy: Special Class Program, "Live From Lincoln Center" (2015)
Grammys (2): Classical Album and Opera Recording, "Weill: Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny" (2008)
Tonys (6): Featured Actress in a Musical, "Carousel" (1994); Featured Actress in a Play, "Master Class" (1996); Featured Actress in a Musical, "Ragtime" (1998); Featured Actress in a Play, "A Raisin in the Sun" (2004); Actress in a Musical, "The Gershwins' Porgy and Bess" (2012); Actress in a Play, "Lady Day at Emerson's Bar & Grill" (2014)
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Cyndi Lauper (1953 - )
Emmy: Guest Actress in a Comedy Series, "Mad About You" (2005)
Grammys (2): Best New Artist (1984); Musical Theater Album, "Kinky Boots" (2013)
Tony: Score, "Kinky Boots" (2013)
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Marc Shaiman (1959 - )
Emmy: Writing in a Variety or Music Program, "The 64th Annual Academy Awards" (1992)
Grammy: Musical Show Album, "Hairspray" (2002)
Tony: Score, "Hairspray" (2003)
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Lily Tomlin (1939 - )
Emmys (6): Writing in a Comedy-Variety or Music Special, "Lily" (1974) and The Lily Tomlin Special (1976) and "The Paul Simon Special" (1978); Variety, Music or Comedy Program, "Lily" (1974) and "Lily: Sold Out" (1981); Voiceover Performance, "An Apology to Elephants" (2013)
Grammy: Comedy Recording, "This Is a Recording" (1971)
Tony: Actress in a Play, "The Search for Signs of Intelligent Life in the Universe" (1986)
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Billy Porter (1969 - )
Emmy: Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, "Pose" (2019)
Grammy: Best Musical Theater Album, "Kinky Boots" (2013)
Tony: Lead Actor in a Musical, "Kinky Boots" (2013)
Dick Van Dyke (1925 -)
Emmys (4): Actor in a Comedy Series, "The Dick Van Dyke Show" (1964, 1965 and 1966); Comedy-Variety or Music Series, "Van Dyke and Company" (1977)
Grammy: Recording for Children, "Mary Poppins" (1964)
Tony: Featured Actor in a Musical, "Bye, Bye Birdie" (1961)
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James Earl Jones (1931 - )
Emmys (2): Actor in a Drama Series, "Gabriel's Fire" (1991); Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Special, "Heat Wave" (1991)
Grammy: Spoken Word Recording, "Great American Documents" (1976)
Tonys (2): Actor in a Play, "The Great White Hope" (1969) and "Fences" (1987)
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David Yazbek (1961 - )
Emmy: Outstanding Writing in a Variety or Music Program, "Late Night With David Letterman" (1984)
Grammy: Musical Theater Album, "The Band's Visit" (2018)
Tony: Original Musical Score, "The Band's Visit (2018)
Grammy: Musical Theater Album, "The Book of Mormon" (2011)
Tony (2): Score and Book, "The Book of Mormon" (2011)
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Ben Platt (1993 - )
Daytime Emmy (1): Outstanding Musical Performance in a Daytime Program, "Dear Evan Hansen" on "Today" (2018)
Grammy: Best Musical Theater Album, "Dear Evan Hansen" (2018)
Tony: Best Actor in a Musical, "Dear Evan Hansen" (2017)
Rachel Bay Jones (1969 - )
Daytime Emmy (1): Outstanding Musical Performance in a Daytime Program, "Dear Evan Hansen" on "Today" (2018)
Grammy: Best Musical Theater Album, "Dear Evan Hansen" (2018)
Tony: Best Featured Actress in a Musical, "Dear Evan Hansen" (2017)
André De Shields (1946 - )
Emmy: Outstanding Individual Performance in a Variety or Music Program, "Ain't Misbehavin'" (1982)
Grammy: Best Musical Theater Album, "Hadestown" (2020)
Tony: Best Featured Actor in a Musical, "Hadestown" (2019)
Quincy Jones (1933 - )
Emmy: Music Composition for a Series Original Dramatic Score, "Roots" (1977)
Grammy:27 wins, including Record of the Year, "Beat It" (1983) and "We Are the World" (1985); Album of the Year, "Back on the Block" (1990)
Tony: Musical Revival (producing), "The Color Purple" (2016)
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Katrina Lenk
Emmy: Outstanding Musical Performance in a Daytime Program, "Today" (2019)
Grammy: Best Musical Theater Album, "The Band's Visit" (2019)
Tony: Best Actress in a Musical, "The Band's Visit" (2018)
Ari'el Stachel (1991 - )
Emmy: Outstanding Musical Performance in a Daytime Program, "Today" (2019)
Grammy: Best Musical Theater Album, "The Band's Visit" (2019)
Tony: Best Featured Actor in a Musical, "The Band's Visit" (2018)
Fred Ebb (1928-2004) and John Kander (1927 - )
Emmy: Original Music and Lyrics, "Liza With a Z" (1973) and "Liza Minnelli Live from Radio City Music Hall" (1993); Ebb also won for "Gypsy in My Soul" (1976) and producing "Liza With a Z"
Grammy: Best Score From an Original Cast Show Album, "Cabaret" (1967)
Tonys (4): Musical and Composer/Lyricist, "Cabaret" (1967); Score, "Woman of the Year" (1981); Score, "Kiss of the Spider Woman" (1993)
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Bill Sherman (1981 - )
Daytime Emmys (2): Original Song - Children's and Animation, "Sesame Street" (2011); Original Song, "Sesame Street" (2015)
Grammys (2): Best Musical Theater Album, "In the Heights" (2008) and "Hamilton" (2017)
Tonys (2): Orchestrations, "In the Heights" (2008); Musical (producing), "Kinky Boots" (2013)
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Anne Garefino (1959 - )
Emmys (5): Animated Program (producing), "South Park" (2005, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2013)
Grammy: Musical Theater Album, "The Book of Mormon" (2011)
Tony: Musical (producing), "The Book of Mormon" (2011)
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Martin Charnin (1934 - )
Emmys (3): Variety or Musical Program, "Annie, the Women in the Life of a Man" (1970); Variety or Musical Program and Directorial Achievement in Comedy or Variety, "'S Wonderful, 'S Marvelous, 'S Gershwin" (1972)
Grammy: Cast Show Album, "Annie" (1977)
Tony: Score, "Annie" (1977)
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Alex Lacamoire (1975 - )
Emmy: Outstanding Music Direction, "Fosse/Verdon" (2019)
Grammy (3): Best Musical Theater Album, "In the Heights" (2009), "Hamilton" (2016), "Dear Evan Hansen" (2018); Best Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media, "The Greatest Showman" (2019)
Tony (3): Best Orchestrations, "In the Heights" (2008); "Hamilton" (2016); "Dear Evan Hansen" (2017)
Jerry Bock (1928–2010)
Daytime Emmy: Original Song - Children's and Animation, "Wonder Pets!" (2010)
Grammy: Score From an Original Cast Show Album, "She Loves Me" (1963)
Tonys (4): Musical, "Fiorello!" (1960), "Hello, Dolly!" (1964) and "Fiddler on the Roof" (1965); plus Score, "Fiddler on the Roof" (1965)
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Julie Harris (1925–2013)
Emmys (3): Single Performance by an Actress, "Little Moon of Alban" (1959); Single Performance by an Actress, "Victoria Regina" (1962); Voiceover Performance, "Not for Ourselves Alone: The Story of Elizabeth Cady Stanton & Susan B. Anthony" (2000)
Grammy: Spoken Word Recording, "The Belle Of Amherst" (1977)
Tonys (5): Actress in a Play, "I Am a Camera" (1952), "The Lark" (1956), "Forty Carats" (1969), "The Last of Mrs. Lincoln" (1973) and "The Belle of Amherst" (1977)
Courtesy: Bill Doll and Company
Cy Coleman (1929-2004)
Emmys (2): Writing in a Comedy-Variety or Music Special, "Shirley MacLaine: If They Could See Me Now" (1975); Comedy-Variety or Music Special, "Gypsy in My Soul" (1976)
Grammy: Musical Show Album, "The Will Rogers Follies" (1991)
Tonys (3): Score, "On the Twentieth Century" (1978), "City of Angels" (1990) and "The Will Rogers Follies" (1991)
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James Whitmore (1921–2009)
Emmy: Guest Actor in a Drama Series, "The Practice" (2000)
Grammy: Spoken Word Recording, "Give 'Em Hell Harry" (1975)
Tony: Performance by Newcomers, "For Love or Money" (1948)
Emmy: 7 individual wins, including for "Omnibus" (1957 and 1958); "Leonard Bernstein and the New York Philharmonic" (1961); "New York Philharmonic Young People's Concerts" (1965); "Beethoven's Birthday" (1972); and "Carnegie Hall: The Grand Reopening" (1987)
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