Democrats Condemn 'Anti-Semitic' Campaign Mailing Against Cynthia Nixon
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – Democrat leaders are coming out against a campaign mailing from the New York State Democratic Committee that implies gubernatorial candidate Cynthia Nixon is weak on supporting Jewish issues.
The mailing claims Nixon "won't stand strong for our Jewish communities," opposes funding Orthodox Jewish schools, supports a "racist, xenophobic" boycott of Israel and has been silent on anti-Semitism.
The flyer is labeled as having been paid for by the New York State Democratic Committee, which denounced the mailing Saturday night.
"The mailers that Governor Cuomo and the NY State Democratic Party have sent out are not only an attack on my family, but on all New Yorkers," said Nixon on Twitter. "At a time when anti-Semitic, Islamophobic, and other hate crimes are on the rise, it's sickening to exploit people's real fears like this."
Nixon and her wife, Christine Marinoni, are raising their children in the Jewish faith.
"Our children's grandparents escaped the Holocaust but many of their family members did not. The accusation that my family promotes anti-Semitism is deeply offensive," said Nixon. "Democrats should be coming together, not engaging in Trump-style tactics."
On Sunday afternoon during a press conference, Gov. Andrew Cuomo said he neither saw nor approved of the mailing, and directed the committee to investigate how it was approved and sent in the first place.
"I think the mailing was inappropriate, I think it was a mistake," said Cuomo. "They better figure out how this happened."
Previously, Cuomo spokeswoman Lis Smith had tweeted that the governor "didn't approve of or have any knowledge of the mailer."
On Sunday, New York State Democratic Committee executive director Geoff Berman responded with a promise to create and send out another mailing, though the primary election was only four days away.
"The State Party sent out a wrong and inappropriate mailer," said Berman. "We will work with the Nixon campaign to send out a mailing of their choosing to the same universe of people."
Democrat Outcry
Over the weekend supporters of Nixon and Democrat party leaders took to social media to further condemn the campaign tactic and the content of the mailing itself.
"The mailer sent by the NY Democratic Party in the 11th hour falsely attacking Cynthia Nixon is beyond unacceptable — it's downright Trumpian," posted Mayor Bill de Blasio, who has said he would not endorse either candidate before Thursday's election. "A tweeted 'apology' calling it a 'mistake' is laughable. The state party must compensate the Nixon campaign immediately."
"Many of @CynthiaNixon positions are anathema to me but to suggest that she is an anti-Semite for political purposes is embarrassing and makes me ashamed, today, to be a Democrat," said New York state Assemblyman Dov Hikind, whose 48th Assembly District includes Borough Park and one of the largest Orthodox Jewish communities outside Israel. "I call on the @NYGovCuomo to personally apologize for that outrageous insinuation."
