New York City Council's Deputy Leader Endorses Cynthia Nixon

This week's primary in New York delivered a blow to established Democrats when Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a first-time candidate, beat incumbent U.S. Rep. Joe Crowley in Queens.

Within hours of her victory, The New York Times ran a piece investigating what Ocasio-Cortez's upset could mean in terms of progressive candidate Cynthia Nixon's bid to oust the incumbent, fellow Democrat Andrew Cuomo, in the New York gubernatorial race. As of Thursday, New York City Council member Jimmy Van Bramer had endorsed the Emmy- and Tony-winning actress turned politician.

Van Bramer, deputy leader of the City Council, spoke about Nixon's strengths as an advocate for LGBT rights, for education, and for fixing the broken transit system, according to a release:

"Cynthia Nixon is a fighter for working-class New Yorkers. Cynthia has a long history of fighting for the LGBT community. As a public school parent, Cynthia has long been a champion for equal access to education no matter what zip code you were born in. As a straphanger, Cynthia has shown that she will be our fighter to fix our broken subway system. Our subway system is crumbling with projects that are twenty years late and billions over budget. Cynthia will make sure that the arts and culture can be experienced in every part of our State. We deserve a champion for all of us, and Cynthia Nixon will be our champion. I am proud to endorse her candidacy for Governor of the State of New York."

Regarding her run for governor, Nixon told The Advocate during a live interview this month, "One of the reasons that I'm running is we need a Democratic governor who is as progressive as New York itself, and who doesn't just act like a progressive right before a Democratic primary but actually does it all the time."

In addition to being deputy leader of the City Council, Van Bramer is the chair of the council's Cultural Affairs and Libraries and International Intergroup Relations Committee. He's also worked to secure over $1 billion for New York City's libraries and the arts, according to the release.

"Jimmy Van Bramer has decades-long experience fighting for LGBTQ equality, and has been a strong leader advocating for our subways on the City Council," Nixon said of the endorsement. "He has been a champion of the arts and our critical library system. I am thrilled to get his endorsement and I look forward to working with him to create a New York that works for the many, not just the wealthy few."

City Council member Carlos Menchaca has also endorsed Nixon. The gubernatorial primary will be held September 13.