New York: Nixon Not Going Away

It appears actress Cynthia Nixon is in for the long haul.  Last month, she announced her Democratic primary challenge to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, and over the weekend she received the Working Families Party endorsement.  The WFP is heavily backed by organized labor and, in fact, two pro-Cuomo unions left the WFP after the delegates’ weekend action.
 
Though this is a minor party that in most states would not be much of a factor, New York is different.  Here, parties can cross-endorse candidates meaning the same contender will appear multiple times on the same ballot representing different political parties.  At the end of the process, all of the candidates’ votes are melded and then counted as an aggregate number to determine the election outcome. 
 
While Ms. Nixon has little chance of upending Gov. Cuomo, her Working Families Party endorsement means that she will appear on the general election ballot even after losing the Democratic primary.  There is little for Gov. Cuomo to worry about from an electoral standpoint, but Ms. Nixon’s presence in the race all the way to November could make what should be a dull campaign much more interesting. 

--Jim Ellis