Nixon, an outspoken democratic socialist who mounted an unsuccessful bid for governor<\/a> in 2018, was appointed to a four-year term on the Commission on Judicial Nomination. The panel reviews candidates for the state Court of Appeals, and the governor can only appoint nominees approved by the commission.<\/p>\n Some Republican lawmakers criticized the appointment by Chief Judge Rowan Wilson, arguing that putting a celebrity activist without a law degree on the panel sends a political message. Her term expires April 30, 2030.<\/p>\n SOCIALISM\u2019S RISE INSIDE THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY NOW THREATENS THE AMERICAN DREAM<\/a><\/p>\n Actress and activist Cynthia Nixon speaks with members of the media during New York\u2019s primary election on June 23, 2026, in New York City. (Adam Gray\/Bloomberg via Getty Images)<\/p>\n State Senate Judiciary Committee<\/a> Ranking Member Anthony Palumbo criticized the pick, telling The New York Post he\u2019s “disappointed, but not surprised that we have a radical progressive actress without a law degree selecting judges in the state of New York.”<\/p>\n According to her biography on the New York State<\/a> website, “Cynthia Nixon is a native New Yorker who began acting professionally at the age of 12 and has worked as an actor and director for nearly 50 years.”<\/p>\n ‘THE VIEW’ CO-HOSTS FEUD AFTER BILLY BOB THORNTON CALLS OUT CELEBRITY POLITICAL LECTURES<\/a><\/p>\n It notes her political activism centers on abortion access, public school funding, LGBTQ equality and breast cancer awareness, adding that her 2018 gubernatorial run focused on “economic, racial, and gender equality.”<\/p>\n Actress Cynthia Nixon speaks outside the White House on Nov. 27, 2023, in Washington, D.C. (Kevin Dietsch\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n BILL MAHER CALLS MAMDANI-BACKED SOCIALIST \u2018PATIENT ZERO\u2019 OF THE \u2018WOKE MIND VIRUS\u2019<\/a><\/p>\n Nixon is best known for playing lawyer Miranda Hobbes in HBO’s “Sex and the City,” but has also appeared in shows like HBO’s “The Gilded Age.” Most commission members are practicing lawyers or government officials, although a law degree is not required.<\/p>\n The website notes the commission<\/a> plays an “important role” in state government.\u00a0<\/p>\n “Its purpose is to see that the judges who sit on New York\u2019s highest court, the Court of Appeals, are chosen from candidates who reflect the diversity of New York\u2019s citizenry and are among the State\u2019s most highly qualified and accomplished judges, practicing lawyers and legal scholars,” it reads.<\/p>\n It also notes that the “Commission\u2019s mandate is a powerful one: the Constitution requires that the Governor choose Judges of the Court of Appeals only from the nominees of the Commission.”<\/p>\n Legal analyst Jonathan Turley was disgusted, writing on X<\/a>, “The New York legal system continues to make a parody of itself. Cynthia Nixon, who played a lawyer on HBO\u2019s\u00a0Sex and the City, has been appointed by New York Chief Judge Rowan Wilson to screen and recommend candidates to serve on the state of New York\u2019s highest court.”<\/p>\n CLICK HERE FOR MORE COVERAGE OF MEDIA AND CULTURE<\/a><\/p>\n Padma Lakshmi, Robert De Niro, the Rev. Al Sharpton and Cynthia Nixon attended the “No Kings” march on March 28, 2026, in New York City. (Andrea Renault\/Star Max\/GC Images)<\/p>\n CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD THE FOX NEWS APP<\/a><\/p>\n Nixon lost the 2018 Democratic gubernatorial primary in a landslide to incumbent Andrew Cuomo<\/a>. During that campaign, she leaned into the democratic socialist label, telling Politico<\/a> that “if being a democratic socialist means that you believe health care, housing, education and the things we need to thrive should be a basic right, not a privilege, then count me in.”<\/p>\n![\"Cynthia](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/cynthia-nixon-ny-politics-fox-news.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Cynthia](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/cynthia-nixon-gaza-politics-fox-news.jpg\")
<\/p>\n![\"Padma](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/cynthia-nixon-robert-deniro-fox-news.jpg\")
<\/p>\n