Across Upstate, Curiosity and Skepticism Await Cynthia Nixon

Across upstate New York, many people have the same first question about Cynthia Nixon: “Which one was she?” 

And once they can picture Nixon and her most famous TV character -- Miranda Hobbes, the red-haired lawyer in "Sex and the City", dozens of people in interviews from Buffalo to Albany seem to be skeptical but curious.

The questions pour out: Other than an actor, who is she? Why is she running for governor? What has she done politically? Has she held office before? What are her positions? What makes her think she can deliver on them? What does she know about New York state up here?

When Nixon launched her candidacy two weeks ago, she pledged to head upstate soon to listen to what’s on people’s minds. WNYC decided to get there first, to see what she’ll find.

If she’s willing to wait on line at Pete Molloy’s hot dog stand, in front of Advanced Auto Parts in the South Park neighborhood of Buffalo, she could get some flame-grilled dogs or sausages — topped with an earful of scorn.

“That’s the last thing we need,” Molloy said about her candidacy during a recent weekday lunch rush. “We need people who know what they’re doing.”

Jim Craw was waiting for a pair of dogs with everything. He’s a big fan of Gov. Andrew Cuomo and credits the two-term incumbent with helping improve the local economy.

“He’s done a lot to revitalize Buffalo, and that’s the first time I’ve seen anyone do that in 30 years,” said Craw, owner of K-9 Lawn Pals, dedicated to relieving homeowners’ yards of unsightly dog waste (“Your Dog's #2 is our #1!” is their motto.)

Policy analysts are generally skeptical that the “Buffalo billion” has generated jobs commensurate with the taxpayer investment — and the series of projects has been plagued by corruption scandals — but Craw believes the incentives provided to IBM, Tesla, Panasonic and others have generated jobs that have, in turn, helped his small business.

“People seem to have more disposable income than before,” he said. “And that’s crucial to our business.”

Even so, Craw said he’s open to Nixon’s run for governor and would hear her out.

“I will listen to everybody,” he said. “I’m not one of those people who will only go one way or the other.”

A recent Siena poll found deep support for Andrew Cuomo upstate — but somewhat less than he receives in New York City and its suburbs. Overall, the region is more conservative than metropolitan New York City, but its Democrats often lean further left. 

In 2014, an unknown law professor and Democratic primary challenger named Zephyr Teachout did better up here against Cuomo than she did in most other parts of the state. And in 2016, Bernie Sanders prevailed in much of the region outside its urban areas, defeating Hillary Clinton by 20 points or more in some counties. 

In Rochester, registered Democrat Robert Benjamin isn’t put off by the idea of an actor taking over the governor’s mansion. If it was good enough for California — with Ronald Reagan and Arnold Schwarzenegger — he could see it happening here. And maybe it would help get this part of the state more on the radar in Albany.  

“I feel like they forgot all about us here in Rochester,” Benjamin said. “The governor is just looking out for his own.”

Over at the next chair at The Gentleman’s Barbershop, his colleague Clark Scott concurs. He’s tired of hearing constantly about the MTA.

“It’s all New York City,” Clark said. “You don’t hear a lot about the roads and the Thruway that we spend so much money to go on, and it’s so horrible.”

Albany-based Democratic Consultant Bruce Gyory says upstate voters account for about 30 percent of the primary electorate and about 50 percent of the general electorate. He says first-time candidates always have a hard time bridging the deep divisions among urban, suburban and rural voters in New York.

“The problem in New York is that it takes a lot to get known state-wide, and then can you get sufficient support while you’re building up your name recognition?” he said. “It’s almost a Herculean task.”

Gyory said Nixon will have to come “listen, listen and listen some more” and try to figure out what issues jibe with her personal beliefs — and those of most voters here and elsewhere. He found her debut in Albany early last week inauspicious, because she railed against the property tax cap — a Cuomo measure he said was wildly popular among suburban and rural voters, even if not a top priority for urban ones.

“If that’s what she believes, then fine,” he said, “but she’s going to need to understand where people are coming from and what appeals to them.”

Gyory notes that Cuomo generally has deep support among union members, across the state, thanks to relatively generous funding for infrastructure, healthcare and education. To overcome that, Nixon will have to find large numbers of people who haven’t benefited from his nearly eight years in office and get them to the polls.

In Syracuse, many people have been left behind by an economy that is growing elsewhere but relatively stagnant here. At the Toomey Abbott Tower, the city’s largest public housing complex, there aren’t many kind words for Cuomo.

Richard Graham, a maintenance worker at Syracuse University, is glad the governor faces a challenger from within his own party — though he wishes it was someone with a little more experience. 

“I just think you should have some kind of politics background,” Graham said. “That way you wouldn’t have to listen to everybody in the background and take their opinion. You’d have your own opinion.”   

Graham says he’s interested to watch things unfold – but after the last year or two of watching an “outsider” take over the White House, he’ll be proceeding cautiously.