Politics / Andrew Cuomo No New York Upset: Cuomo Defeats Cynthia Nixon Governor withstands challenge from actress By Newser Editors and Wire Services Posted Sep 13, 2018 8:37 PM CDT Copied Polling station officials direct New York gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon to her voting area for the primary Thursday, Sept. 13, 2018, in New York. (AP Photo/Bebeto Matthews) New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo has defeated Democratic primary challenger Cynthia Nixon to win his party's nomination for a third term. The AP called the race at 9:25pm Eastern, 25 minutes after the polls closed. Cuomo had far greater financial resources going into the matchup, and polls suggested he held a commanding lead before Thursday's primary. Nixon, an activist and former Sex and the City star, had hoped to become the latest liberal challenger to unseat a powerful insider. Cuomo's campaign dismissed her as inexperienced and touted the governor's work to push back against President Trump. His victory comes despite several missteps, including a widely condemned mailer that questioned Nixon's support for Jewish people. Nixon has two Jewish children and called the attack "sleazy." Cuomo will face Republican Marc Molinaro and independent Stephanie Miner in November's general election. (More Andrew Cuomo stories.) Get breaking news in your inbox. What you need to know, as soon as we know it. Sign up Report an error