New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo beat progressive challenger Cynthia Nixon Thursday night, after a vicious and sensational Democratic primary.
Progressives had hoped Nixon could ride an insurgent wave within the party and stop Cuomo from winning a third term. Nixon did push Cuomo to the Left on a number of issues, forcing the incumbent to shift his positions including on the legalization of marijuana.
Cuomo left nothing to chance, however, spending millions on TV ads, and mailers, and touted endorsements from former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former Vice President Joe Biden.
The rifts within the party were on full display within weeks of Nixon jumping into the race when she locked down the endorsement of the progressive Working Families Party.
Despite Cuomo’s strong lead in virtually every poll, Nixon’s camp pointed to the growing number of upsets by progressive candidates, starting with Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s victory earlier this summer over incumbent Rep. Joe Crowley in New York’s 14th District. Nixon sought to tie Cuomo to poor management, and corruption in state government.
Cuomo staved off defeat, playing up his feud with President Trump and vowing to aggressively combat the administration’s policies. Cuomo’s America “was never that great” gaffe likely helped rather than hurt him, as he drew fire from Trump — a boost in a blue state like New York.
Cuomo will face Republican nominee Marc Molinaro, a former New York State Assembly member, in November.
