Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer announcing his endorsement for Cynthia Nixon for New York governor in 2018. (Photo: Nathaly Pesantez)
Dec. 23, 2019 By Allie Griffin
Former gubernatorial candidate and “Sex and the City” actress Cynthia Nixon formally endorsed Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer for Queens Borough President today.
In a letter to supporters, Van Bramer’s campaign announced he received endorsements from both Nixon and Zephyr Teachout, a former state Attorney General candidate and Fordham Law professor, on Monday.
Nixon, a progressive advocate who lost the Democratic primary to Gov. Andrew Cuomo in 2018, credited Van Bramer for taking on the “Queens machine” to win his seat in City Council in 2009 and pushing for “groundbreaking” campaign finance reform in NYC — “opening the door for a new era of progressive politics in the city.”
“Whether bringing people together to defend immigrant communities, fighting for funding for our precious public libraries, safer streets or the MTA, or standing up against Trump’s hateful rhetoric and policies, Jimmy is a champion for the people,” Nixon said in a statement. “Queens needs a progressive fighter who won’t be beholden to political bosses, rich donors or big corporations.”
Van Bramer was the second city council member to endorse Nixon in the 2018 gubernatorial race. He announced his an endorsement of the lifelong New Yorker one day after Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez shocked the Queens Democratic establishment by beating incumbent Joe Crowley in the 14th District primary.
At the time, Van Bramer, who had endorsed Crowley in that race, said his support for Nixon was inspired by Ocasio-Cortez’s victory. He said her win showed that voters wanted “strong, bold” Democrats free from the political establishment.
The council member also endorsed Zephyr Teachout for attorney general in 2018 — but only after rescinding his original endorsement of Public Advocate Letitia James once AOC beat Crowley.
Van Bramer then told the New York Daily News he made the switch decision after seeing each campaign play out in the context of the anti-Queens machine movement and Ocasio-Cortez’s victory.
“I believe that [Teachout’s] independence from all of the power brokers, including the governor, is something that we should all want in an attorney general,” Van Bramer told the Daily News at the time. “And you know, I want to be true to my own personal politics and principles, and also actually honor sort of the movement that’s been going on in Queens.”
In her endorsement of Van Bramer, Teachout said the councilman is a real progressive willing to fight against billion-dollar corporations and put people first.
“We don’t need more party politicians beholden to big real estate,” Teachout said in a statement. “Jimmy is the only candidate in this race who’s proven throughout his career that he’s not afraid to take on powerful interest and win. From defeating Amazon, to defying the party bosses, to organizing to get money out of politics, Jimmy is the true progressive choice for Queens Borough President.”
Van Bramer has been working to position himself as the progressive candidate in a crowded field fighting for the Queens borough president seat.
A special election for the position will be held after the current BP Melinda Katz vacates the seat to become Queens district attorney in January.
Others vying for the seat include Council Members Costa Constantinides and Donovan Richards, former Council Member Elizabeth Crowley, Assembly Member Alicia Hyndman and law enforcement reform advocate Anthony Miranda.
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31 Comments
Two obnoxious losers with zero accomplishments. They deserve each other. This ‘hood has gone to the weirdos thanks to the moronic lefty hipsters.
Great to hear! He’s got my vote.
Gardens Watcher has no comment on JVB’s endorsement, but Garden watchers needs to brush up on his English.
Well what do have?? A job killer and disliked socialist little twerp. Then a champagne socialist interested in block busting and the final destruction of nyc
Is that why you voted for the billionaire game show host?
Sara Ross. You do know Trump has lied about his family heritage in public speeches and in a number of books he claims he is of Swedish heritage. Warren only exaggerated her heritage Trump flat out lied about his. Get it straight.
Yes Judy, Nixon lives about a hundred and fifty yards from Queens about twenty feet closer than Fox News where you get your marching orders from.
Wait, what do we have here a millionaire celebrity announcing her support for an incumbent of a politician who doesn’t represent the vast majority of its constituents of the great diverse borough of Queens, not. This man is a shame and dirtbag who clearly is in bed with the corrupt democratic machine. Supporting Crowley in the 2016 election was not a smart moved. JVB will not be the borough president come election time.
This is reply to MJ
Really do you think Van Bremer staff is great.
Well let me say I STOP calling his office bc the wise ass that answered phone was rude and always had a attitude. They do nothing .
Anyway JVB is a selfish conceited jerk . YOU do not deserve any body votes.
Get lost .
Too bad we used to have politicians that say Mary Christmas to all good night
Absolutely agree with Claude. Madam Nixon resides in Mantattan not in Queens. She lost her campain and I hope that Council Member Jimmy Van Bramer will loose his.
How else would this trolling waste get any coverage? ‘Sex in the City’ ended 15 years ago and with it her relevance.
If anything, this is a reason NOT to support JVB.
JIMMY AND NIXOn sitting on a tree, kissing FIRST WAS LOSER THEN WAS BIGGER LOSER, THEN THERE THERES TEACHOUT IN A BABY CARRIAGE . NO QUEENS BOROUGH PRESIDENCY FOR YOU JIMMY!
Why does Trump “love the poorly educated?” Hmmm
She doesn’t live in Queens so she shouldn’t be endorsing anybody running there. To Wearing a little red hat – that’s Elizabeth Warren who’s running for president. She sounds like a creepy librarian and if she lied about her family heritage, who knows what else she has lied about or will lie about.
Oh right, that was a DIFFERENT racist remark.
Maybe I was thinking about the two american-born congresswomen he told to “go back to your own country,” because they were brown?
All the overt bigotry gets confusing!
Claude – You’re wrong people like you are sheep you’re just lead by a different celebrity. Let us guess, you voted for a reality TV star who happens to be a real estate developer and a name in the hotel industry, for president.
If you ever needed a reason to NOT vote for JVB -now you have it. This is the rise of the wackos going on between these twits and AOC … lets just fill government with people with. O clue and no experience and let them pull the strings…. this country is in serious trouble.
Trump had 0 days experience. Now that’s a bad thing?! You must be a libral socialist communist marxist
Another multi millionaire telling us what to do. Jimmy ignoring his base… Shame the lad used to focus on helping people
How dare you criticize our president
i miss joe crowleys holiday messages on sunnyside post. AOC doesnt care about us, shes busy promoting herself.
A loser endorsing another loser. Perfect casting!
This is what these clowns do not understand, We are not sheep, We are not lead around by so called celebrities , Nixon and Teachout are two Losers, Jim is barking up the wrong tree.
JVB wants to get big $$ out of politics. Really? Last i checked Nixon is a multi-millionaire.
Cynthia Nixon needs to butt out. VanBrammer is failing Queens. Take a look at Queens Blvd, 43rd Ave, and Skillman Ave. VanBrammer’s staff is great! Him not so much.
all losers this is a joke
HA. OK.
Cynthia Nixon, a mutli-millionaire…. doesn’t even live in Queens! I’ll pass on her endorsement!
Wait, is she the one that Daddy told us to call “Pocahontas?”
Or are we supposed to use a different racial slur?
Now he just needs the endorsement of Kim Cattrall to win.