In my late teen, I enjoyed binge-watching four 30-year-old women complaining about men, sex lives and their extravagant lifestyles in Manhattan. Little did I know that one of the actresses would actually run for Governor of New York. You may know her as Miranda Hobbes from Sex and the City; a workaholic corporate lawyer who doesn’t really care much about men or who brutally judges how suck Carrie’s life choices are without even sugar-coat. She is no other than Cynthia Nixon (and no, she isn’t related to the national embarrassment Richard Nixon.)
I don’t remember who put the idea of having to like the protagonist in my head but I thought really liked Carrie Bradshaw, she has a column of her own in a magazine, been trying to make ends meet by writing, having a huge closet and countless pairs of shoes, not because I can relate to but because her life is what I want to be when I am in my thirties. However, in terms of attitude and character, I low-key admire Miranda for being a lawyer, keeping abreast with men in a man’s world. Whenever I took BuzzFeed’s quiz on “Which SATC character you are?” I secretly hoped I got Miranda and I did get Miranda most of the time. (Sometimes I’m Charlotte or Samantha, I still don’t know why I never got Carrie.) So this is how I know and come to fond of Miranda Hobbes aka Cynthia Nixon.
Before Donald Trump, one of the actresses from your favorite show running for New York Governor election would be a big deal but now that he’s in the White House, nothing surprises me anymore. Yet, it took me by surprise to find out that Cynthia Nixon challenged New York Governor Andrew Cuomo for the election. Not every actress does that around here, do they?
In real life, Cynthia Nixon isn’t Miranda Hobbes. She isn’t Harvard Law Graduate and she isn’t New York based successful corporate lawyer. She is an actress with a degree in English Literature. So in terms of education, she isn’t an impressive candidate for governor position, is she?
However, we cannot neglect her long-time activism and advocacy. Three decades in the spotlight of entertainment industry provides her with millions of fans supporting her and she makes quite a good use of the fame she has. Being a bisexual herself with a wife, she has been an advocate for LGBTQ rights for more than a decade. She has been lobbies for marriage equality in New York as well as nationwide range. Last year, Cynthia gave a speech at a rally at Stonewall Inn, the birthplace of modern gay rights movement, to show LGBTQ solidarity with those affected by Trump’s immigration ban.
Pride movement is not the only issue that Cynthia cares. Educated in public school throughout her life, she has also been very outspoken about the importance of public education for ordinary American families, and she sends her three kids to NY public schools. Furthermore, she’s been advocating women’s rights and reproductive rights by writing essays and giving speeches at rallies.
You may think, “Of course, advocacy and activism are celebrities’ way of giving back to the community by millions of money they make out of them.” It’s true. There are countless numbers of celebrity UN Goodwill Ambassadors, activists of various problems and philanthropists but we don’t really see a celebrity daring an incumbent governor with political legacies. She may have a very thin chance on winning but I can’t praise enough for her courage and confidence for running this election.
Looking at her opponent, Andrew Cumuo who runs for his third term as New York Governor is a law school graduate, the son of later NY Governor Mario Cumuo, which grants him legacy votes, and has been in the game of politics since in the 80s. Strong candidate as he is, Cumuo is able to spend tremendous amount of donations to on the election campaign. Very intimidating (for me at least).
However, the experience and wealth of Governor Cumuo didn’t threaten Cynthia. In March 2018, she broke the news about running for election with a very touching and inspirational campaign where she talked about her priorities for the election: public education, income inequality, universal healthcare, as well as New York’s infamous subway. Since then, the campaign Cynthia for New York went alive with supports from her Sex and the City co-stars Sarah Jessica Parker, Chris Noth, as well as, Lena Dunham, Alec Baldwin and many others.
Despite the spotlight and supports, it’s a no-brainer that Cynthia doesn’t stand a chance to beat the governor who already severed two terms previously. On September 13, New Yorkers decided that they would have Cumuo for another term and it was understandable. Cynthia has Emmy, Grammy and Tony awards but she has no experience in public administration which makes her a very weak candidate. In politics, it is a suicide mission for a newcomer to challenge an experienced politician, but Cynthia did it anyway. It is extremely important to recognize how brave she is to run this election since day one.
Some defines a person’s worth with money she makes, some with fame or success she receives but very few define a person’s worth with how much effort she puts in issues that are matter to her. Cynthia shows that she cares about her community by involving in various activism and advocacy throughout her life, and shows that she wants to make changes for fellow New Yorkers by running for election. She did not win the election, in fact she lost but, she lost gracefully and we will remember her for that.
