Christine Quinn: Nixon is 'talented,' Cuomo is 'experienced'

NEW YORK (FOX5NY.COM) - Christine Quinn, the president and CEO of Win, spoke to Good Day New York about the city's homelessness crisis. She also answered questions about her shots at Cynthia Nixon, a Democratic primary challenger to Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

Quinn is a former speaker of the City Council and an ally of the governor, who chose her to be the vice chair of the state Democratic Committee.

She came under fire for calling Nixon an "unqualified lesbian." Quinn, who is also gay, later apologized for invoking Nixon's sexual orientation.

"I meant it as kind of a comparison, maybe humorous, between the two of us," Quinn told Good Day's Rosanna Scotto and Lori Stokes. "When I make a mistake, boom, right? But the 'unqualified' part I stand by completely."

Quinn called Nixon a "terrific actress" and "good, solid activist." So why does Quinn believe Nixon is unqualified to be governor?

"New York State is the 17th-largest economy in the world. An incredibly diverse state with numerous problems," Quinn said. "We have a progressive leader—Governor Cuomo—who has experience and success in running the state."

The former speaker pointed to Cuomo's prior experience as U.S. secretary of housing and urban development under President Bill Clinton and the state's attorney general.

"One thing you can't say is, 'He's inexperienced,'" Quinn said. "He has an abundance of experience in the same way she has an abundance of acting experience."