HEMPSTEAD -- Gov. Andrew Cuomo's nomination for a third term will get the boost of two long-time allies: Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden.
The former New York senator and first lady was set to speak Wednesday afternoon at the Democratic convention on Long Island. The former vice president will speak Thursday morning ahead of Cuomo's acceptance speech.
“New York has led the way in fighting back against the divisive, hateful agenda of the ultra-conservatives in Washington and worked to create a fairer, more inclusive state for all,” Clinton said in a statement Monday.
The speaking roles for the prominent Democrats come as actress Cynthia Nixon challenges Cuomo from the left, drawing a distinction perhaps between the old guard and new leaders of the state party.
Jumaane Williams, who is seeking the party's nomination for lieutenant governor, knocked the convention -- saying the party hasn't embraced stronger voting rights and didn't bring in an array of speakers.
"It seems like when people are talking about party unity, that’s usually the establishment telling the left to shut up," Williams, a New York City councilman, said.
"Maybe if you have Hillary, you also have Bernie."
Clinton's speech on Long Island was also set to come just hours after President Donald Trump, who beat her in the 2016 presidential election, was also on Long Island to talk about the MS-13 gang-related deaths there.
Cuomo has long ties to the Clintons; and not only because they all live nearby in Westchester County.
Cuomo served in President Clinton's cabinet as secretary of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, and Cuomo often talks about how Bill Clinton has been one of his main mentors.
Biden, too, has built a close relationship with Cuomo, often coming to New York to tout Cuomo's initiatives as Cuomo is considered a potential presidential candidate in 2020.