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Miner Doubts Democrats' Stories About Mailer

Stephanie Miner
Karen DeWitt
Stephanie Miner

Independent candidate for New York governor Stephanie Miner is keeping the heat on Governor Andrew Cuomo and the state Democratic Party for a mailer sent out during the party primary that accused the governor’s opponent, Cynthia Nixon, of anti-Semitism.

Miner, the former mayor of Syracuse was also co-chair of the Democratic State Party under Andrew Cuomo, before the two had a falling out over state aid to local government. She says she no longer sees a place for herself in the party.

“The leadership in Albany is corrupt. It’s wasteful and it’s not solving problems,” Miner said. “There’s no room for me in Andrew Cuomo’s Democratic Party.”

Miner believes there’s no way that Cuomo and his top aides did not know the contents of a mailer that went out to Jewish democratic voters a few days before the primary. It accused challenger Cynthia Nixon of being anti-Semitic. Nixon, who has two Jewish children and regularly attends a synagogue, lost the race. 

“If Donald Trump had done something like this, Democrats would be protesting,” Miner said. “We can’t just say just because Andrew Cuomo is a Democrat that that tactic is acceptable.” 

Cuomo has denied knowing about the mailer in advance, and says vetting policies at the state party will change.

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Miner spoke with WAMC's Capitol Correspondent Karen DeWitt about her election strategy

Republican Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro, Libertarian Larry Sharpe and perennial candidates Howie Hawkins and Jimmy McMillan are also running to unseat two-term Governor Cuomo.

Karen DeWitt is Capitol Bureau chief for New York State Public Radio, a network of public radio stations in New York state. She has covered state government and politics for the network since 1990.
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