Although Cynthia Nixon is a newcomer to politics in her run for governor, it's Andrew Cuomo and his team that seem to be making some rookie mistakes.
The latest misstep from Team Cuomo came in the wake of an attack Nixon made Wednesday night at a fundraiser in the Stonewall Inn in the West Village.
"He's got $31 million to buy ad time. But I will tell you that in our first day of fundraising this week, we received more small-donor donations than Governor Cuomo has received in seven years," Nixon said.
The Nixon campaign later released the actual figures. On day one, Nixon raised $2,214 from contributions less than $200. Cuomo has only received $1,369 from such donations since 2011.
When we tried to ask the governor about that Thursday, he had a testy response.
"I'm going back and work on the budget, and then we'll answer your small questions," Cuomo said.
In a phone interview later, the governor said he didn't mean to make "short shirft" of the question. It is just that he does a different type of fundraising operation. Small donors are important, he added, and his campaign will be targeting smaller donations going forward.
Cuomo also pledged Thursday not to sign a state budget without $250 million in additional state funding for NYCHA that he first pledged on Saturday.
"I want in this budget, I'm going to force the politician's hand," Cuomo said. They all come to NYCHA residents and make promises. I want a real solution."
The governor's real solution is not releasing the money without tying it to a private contractor to make the repairs instead of the city.
The mayor is opposed to this. In a statement, a spokeperson for the mayor says, “We understand the Governor's obsession with the Mayor has prevented him from learning how NYCHA funding works, but the truth is NYCHA is spending hundreds of millions of dollars each year to fill the hole left by state and federal underinvestment. Instead of lying about the facts to feed his political obsession, the Governor should give NYCHA tenants the money he has promised and refuses to deliver."
Cuomo and legislative leaders are expected to meet and negotiate the budget through the weekend. They have until April 1 to hammer out a final deal, but they are looking to get it all wrapped up by March 29, the night before Good Friday.