“Sex and The City” actress-activist Cynthia Nixon is jumping back into politics — at least to make an endorsement.
Nixon, who challenged Gov. Andrew Cuomo in the Democratic primary last year, announced Wednesday she’s backing Bronx middle school principal Jamaal Bowman for Congress against long-time Democratic incumbent Rep. Eliot Engel.
The 16th Congressional District takes in portions of the Bronx and Westchester County, which is adjacent to Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s district.
Nixon endorsed Ocasio-Cortez the day before her stunning upset victory last year over ex-Rep. Joe Crowley in the Democratic primary.
AOC also endorsed Nixon’s losing bid against Cuomo in the governor’s race.
The lefty group Justice Democrats, a key backer of AOC, also is out to topple Engel.
Nixon appeared in a video on Twitter with Bowman saying she’s supporting him because of his education credentials. He’s the founding principal of the Cornerstone Academy for Social Action and a critic of standardized testing.
“When people ask me how I got into politics, my answer always starts with education. It’s how I first got involved as an activist 18 years ago, fighting for better funding for our public schools. More than any other issue, it’s the reason I decided to run for governor,” Nixon said.
“And it’s why, for my first endorsement of the 2020 cycle, I’m supporting Jamaal Bowman for Congress in New York’s 16th District.”
“Jamaal understands that we need to invest in schools, not jails. In Congress, he’ll take on people like Betsy DeVos who want to privatize our public schools for their own profit. He will fight to ensure that every child, in every zip code, can go to a good school.”
“I believe that we don’t just need to elect more Democrats — we also need to elect BETTER Democrats. And that’s why this race is so important. Unlike his opponent, Jamaal’s not taking a dime in corporate PAC or lobbyist money. That’s why he needs our help. Together, we can win this fight,” Nixon concluded.
Engel, first elected to Congress in 1989, is chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. He’s been a staunch supporter of Israel and is considered more hawkish on national security and foreign affairs than the newly elected lefty activists like AOC.
For years Engel’s claim to fame was scoring aisle seats in the House to shake hands with the president during the State of the Union address.