Cynthia Nixon roasts Cuomo: He should ‘come out as a Republican’

New York gubernatorial candidate and former “Sex and the City” star Cynthia Nixon roasted her opponent, Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), during her remarks at the annual Legislative Correspondents Association dinner Tuesday night.

During her rebuttal, Nixon, who has described herself as bisexual and is married to a woman, joked that her opponent is harboring secret Republican sentiments, and likened his struggle with them to her own struggle with her identity with her sexuality.

{mosads}

“It’s not healthy when you feel like you have to hide who you are and I wouldn’t wish that on anyone,” Nixon told the crowd. “And that’s why tonight I think it’s time for Andrew Cuomo to come out as a Republican.”

“He’s not fooling anyone,” she added. “Who knows why he’s stayed in the closet this long? Maybe he was afraid it would hurt his career…Maybe he was afraid of disappointing his father. It must not be easy, growing up feeling like you’re different from everyone else.”

Nixon also mocked the New York governor, whose father also held the state’s top office, for portraying himself as middle-class in his reelection campaign.

“Cuomo claims to be middle-class. A middle-class son of a governor with a $1,000,000 house, a $700,000 book deal, and a collection of vintage sports cars. You know, just a regular guy,” she said, to laughs.

“I just want to say, Andrew, it’s OK to come out and live openly as you are. Your donors won’t love you any less,” she concluded.

Nixon is challenging Cuomo in the state’s September primary, and trails the governor by a wide margin. However, recent polls suggest that Nixon is narrowing the gap against Cuomo, who has been floated as a possible 2020 Democratic presidential contender.