NEW YORK — Primary Day in NYC takes place Thursday.
Those voting must be registered to a political party, and can start heading to their polling place at 6 a.m.
Nixon has been trailing in the polls, but according to Pehme, the polls have been consistently wrong, especially in primary races. For instance, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez's win against 10-term Rep. Joe Crowley in the 14th Congressional District race was a "political upset," according to Pehme.
What separates Nixon from Cuomo?
Nixon runs to left of the progressive agenda and styles herself as candidate of the left. She also paints Cuomo as a moderate Democrat, if not one that leans toward Republican, Pehme said.
New York City Councilman Jumaane Williams, who is backed by Nixon, is taking on Cuomo-backed Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul.
Though both are supported by prospective gubernatorial candidates, they can win on their own, meaning they can still win the lieutenant governor race if the candidate who backed them doesn't win, which can create a "fascinating dynamic" and possibly "cause tension" in Albany, according to Pehme.
Cuomo-backed New York City Public Advocate Letitia James, a longtime Working Families Party stalwart whose embrace of the governor frustrated some old allies; Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney, who held a narrow lead in a recent poll and has attracted support from the real estate industry; and progressive favorite Zephyr Teachout, the anti-corruption activist, are about even-odds to win the four-candidate contest, Pehme said.
The result could have an outsize effect on national politics, depending on how aggressively the winner sees fit to oversee President Donald Trump, his administration and financial titans on Wall Street.
Polls are scheduled to close at 9 p.m.