Dear Cynthia Nixon,

I’m Kathleen Warnock, a journalist, editor. and longtime New Yorker.

I’m on assignment for NewNowNext, and I’m writing to you after talking with my editor about what “qualifications” are needed to be a politician, and how activism and organizing can lead someone to a career in public service, as an elected official or other civil servant.

My editor asked me to reach out to you to talk about your history of activism and how it has evolved to the point where you announced your run for Governor of New York.

That proved harder than I anticipated.

While my mother insists that all lesbians know each other, I know that’s not quite true. But I did think I could get word to your campaign through a friend-of-a-friend or two. I reached out and got a couple of email addresses.

In the last several weeks, I’ve emailed, Tweeted, and Facebook messaged your campaign. I went in through LinkedIn and DMed on Twitter. And the result has been one DM back from a campaign staffer, a boilerplate email saying they’d “be in touch” and a call from a campaign staffer, whom I immediately called back and never heard from again.

Then I went to Ireland for a play I produced, where the activism for #Repealthe8th was overflowing (and my “Unqualified Lesbian” button was a great hit), and thought I’d come home and try one more time.

A lot of people I know are quite interested in your run, which seems to be gaining momentum every day. It certainly seems to be pushing the incumbent in a more progressive direction.

But what’s keeping some people from wholeheartedly throwing themselves behind your candidacy is reluctance to support an actor, as opposed to someone who’s already an elected official or in public service.

We are not California, which has three times elected movie stars to serve as Governor and Senator (Ronald Reagan, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and George Murphy; all Republicans).

I’ve seen you around the organizing/activism scene for many years. You’re married to a community advocate. You have skin in the game as both a union member and a New York City public school parent.

Cynthia Nixon meets with people at the Bethesda Healing Center on March 20, 2018 in Brooklyn, New York at her first event since announcing that shes running for governor of New York.

There are a number of questions I’d ask you in person or via phone, or that you might take the time to jot down some thoughts on. I think that your answers are the kind of thing that would get more people to learn more, reach out, see you as a candidate who happens to be an artist, rather than an actor-running-for-office.

So, if you and I were on the phone, or chatting online, or even across a desk from each other, these are the questions I’d ask:

As a young person, and as a native New Yorker, what things did you see that you wanted to change? What adults modeled behavior for you that got you started in your own activism? Do you remember your first action or protest? What was it?

As a student, were you involved in school groups and activities that were organized around creating change? Were there teachers who helped inspire you to do more, or changed the way you saw things?

You went to an academically rigorous public high school. What did you take with you when you graduated that informs you today?

You also went to work very young. When did you join your first union? Did you do other, non-entertainment industry jobs as you were growing up? What unions or Guilds are you currently enrolled in?

What did you learn as a young person about unions and their goals? Did you become active in union work? Who were some of the people who taught you what unions do and how they operate?

You chose to continue your education in New York City at another top academic school. Why did you choose to stay in New York? I’m willing to bet that some people advised you to move to Los Angeles and work on your career full time.

Like many New Yorkers, you both worked and went to school at the same time. What did that experience teach you about how important education is and how difficult it can be to get while supporting yourself?

How did your interests in causes and forms of activism change when you were in college? Did it affect what courses you took? Did you start to feel more empowered? How does or did that mesh with your persona as a public figure with an audience? (As a public figure, how do you respond to people who say you shouldn’t have opinions on current issues?)

How did you continue to educate yourself, and in what areas, after you graduated? Did you consider going to graduate school? Did you consider going into another profession? (Law, social work, economics, etc.?)

What issues came to your attention as you work in the entertainment industry that you thought needed work or change? What skills did you acquire or observe as an actor and director that you think could be transferrable to working as an elected official? Are there people in the industry now whom you turn to for advice and insight?

How did your views on what’s needed, especially in the educational system, change when you had children of your own? Did their specific needs draw you to certain causes or issues? How had the public school experience changed since you were in school?

Did you consider sending your children to private school or home schooling them?

As an adult, you’re known for your work for public education, for LGBT rights and marriage equality, and for women’s health.

It seems to me that you have a personal relationship with each of these causes: as a public school alumna and parent, a married gay person, and a breast cancer survivor.

Is it your instinct to organize and create change when these issues are close to home? How have you modeled this for your children, and do they have causes and organizations that they work with?

How has working with Christine changed and affected the way your view your activism? She’s said that the Matthew Shepherd murder was one of the things that galvanized her own activism.

Christine has also worked for the City of NY as an advisor for Community Partnerships She also worked to help elect Mayor De Blasio.

What were your observations of working on a political campaign from up close? Was that part of your decision to run for office?

What finally sealed the decision for you? What kind of discussions did you have with friends and family that made you decide to run?

What issues and causes do you intend to study/learn more about as you campaign? How can you bring what you’ve learned through your careers to help New Yorkers?

For the reasons stated above, we're very interested in your candidacy, and would appreciate the opportunity to discuss some or all of the above. I look forward to corresponding with your campaign again soon, and speaking with you as well.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Kathleen Warnock