The Sept. 13 New York gubernatorial primary is fast approaching and Democratic politicians are making a last-minute push to encourage New York City voters to choose either incumbent Governor Andrew Cuomo or his challenger, Cynthia Nixon.

A week before the primary, Nixon sat down with ethnic and community news outlets in an hour-long conversation on issues that intimately affect New York City neighborhoods. The Sept. 6. discussion was hosted by the Manhattan Neighborhood Network, a public access news channel, at their East 104th Street studio.

Moderated by campaign surrogate and former New York City council speaker, Melissa Mark-Viverito, the candidate for governor answered questions on gang violence, the dysfunctional real estate and housing industry, and the racialized New York State and city judicial systems. Immigration was first on Nixon’s mind in front of a group of journalists that included Spanish, Korean, and Chinese language outlets and others who serve minority communities.

“I’d like to start off with the idea of New York as a sanctuary state and that we hear a lot about that right now, but I have to say it’s largely rhetorical,” Nixon said. “There is so much that we can and should and must do.”

The actress-turned-activist-turned-politician named two bills she would support right off the bat if elected: the New York DREAM Act and the Liberty Act. The former would give Dreamers — undocumented immigrants given special status during the Obama administration — access to higher education while their status is being worked out on the federal level. The latter bill proposal would prohibit local law enforcement from cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) whose controversial raids and arrests have impacted immigrant communities. Nixon also said she would expand access to drivers licenses for undocumented people on her first day in office by way of executive order.

“We should have passed both of these bills — the New York DREAM Act and the Liberty Act — a long time ago,” Nixon said.

Nixon also focused heavily on tenant’s rights in New York, reflecting on her childhood when her mother was forced to go to housing court to fight for better treatment from an abusive landlord.

“We need a New York governor who sides with tenants, not with developers,” Nixon said. “As a person who grew up the daughter of a single mother in a one bedroom, five flight walk-up where we had a landlord preying on us for years and lying to us about the rent… I’m very aware of how close to the borderline of eviction so many people not just in this city but in this state live.”

Nixon proposed closing vacancy loopholes and undoing the rent rules put forth by Cuomo and his predecessors. She also called for a much larger investment in the scandal-plagued New York City Housing Authority and an expansion in rent regulations for all buildings, not just those built before 1974.

A day before the Nixon event, supporters of the Cuomo ticket–which includes Lieutenant Governor Kathy Hochul and attorney general candidate Letitia James–met at Bedford Park’s Tracey Towers, the largest residential buildings in the Bronx. State Senator Jamaal T. Bailey, Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernandez and City Council Member Andrew Cohen were among the public figures who represent Tracey Towers at the event pledging their support. Hochul is being challenged by Councilman Jumaane Williams.

“I’m proud to endorse Governor Cuomo… because of the many first-in-the-nation progressive policies that have provided opportunities never before available,” Cohen, representing Norwood and Bedford Park, said in a statement earlier this year. “He passed tuition-free college for all New Yorkers through the Excelsior Scholarship, has launched an aggressive assault on education inequity, enacted the most comprehensive paid family leave program in the nation and passed common sense gun reforms—making New York safer than ever.

Assemblywoman Nathalia Fernandez, who had worked for the Cuomo administration as its Bronx Regional Representative, said in a statement to the Norwood News that “Governor Andrew Cuomo, Kathy Hochul, and Letitia James have never shrunk away from progressive ideals. They have been tireless advocates for Bronxites and they continue to fight for affordable housing, sensible healthcare, and woman’s rights. I am proud to endorse them for the upcoming election.”

Cuomo’s lead in public polling jumped from 33 percent to 41 percent in a Siena College poll released on Sept. 10, after the candidates’ sole debate in August and even a series of public scandals embroiling the Cuomo campaign. Cuomo’s lead in New York City is even higher, with 68 percent of likely voters in favor of the incumbent compared to Nixon’s 18 percent.

When asked about internal polls on Sept. 5, Nixon diverted the discussion to the fact that the 2018 political climate has taken a decidedly more liberal turn in New York and that there are 583,000 new Democrats registered since the last Democratic gubernatorial primary in 2014.

“Four years ago, less than 600,000 people voted in the gubernatorial primary,” Nixon said. “Donald Trump wasn’t in the White House yet and it wasn’t on a Thursday… I’m feeling very confident.”

Zephyr Teachout, a democratic candidate for attorney general endorsed by Nixon, ran against Cuomo in the primary in 2014 and lost with 33 percent of the vote to the incumbent governor’s 63 percent. Teachout briefly served as Nixon’s campaign treasurer before the attorney general’s race opened up in May with Eric Schneiderman’s resignation. Schneiderman, a Democrat, left office after being accused of sexual and physical abuse by former partners. While attention has been paid to Teachout and James, the Siena College poll shows Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney edging out his competitors, garnering 25 percent of vote, compared to James’ 24 percent and Teachout’s 18 percent.

The winner of the Sept. 13th primary will go on to face Republican challenger, Marcus Molinaro, the county executive for Dutchess County.

After the sit-down concluded, Nixon made her way out slowly, chatting with journalists and taking selfies. Outside on the sidewalk, Nixon finally had a moment to herself. Sans entourage or security, she turned to the sole aide that stood beside her at that moment and said, “we’re not going to eat all day unless we get something to eat right now.” Mark-Viverito knew just the spot, around the corner in “El Barrio.” The trio turned heal and made their way toward Third Avenue.

The primary is Thursday, Sept 13., moved from its normally scheduled Tuesday because of Rosh Hashanah, New Year on the Jewish calendar, and the 17th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.

Helpful Links
NYC Campaign Finance Board Voter Guide : https://www.nyccfb.info/nyc-votes/vgwelcome/state-primary-2018/
NYS Campaign Finance Disclosure Reports : https://www.elections.ny.gov/CFViewReports.html