In this file photo taken on May 3, 2017 Nominee Cynthia Nixon attends the 2017 Tony Awards Meet The Nominees Press Junket at the Sofitel Hotel in New York City, the United States. (Xinhua/AFP)

NEW YORK, March 19 (Xinhua) -- U.S. actress and activist Cynthia Nixon announced Monday to run for the governor of New York state, challenging incumbent Democrat Governor Andrew Cuomo.

"I love New York, and today I'm announcing my candidacy for governor," Nixon, 51, known as Miranda Hobbes by fans of HBO's "Sex and the City" series, tweeted Monday, along with a two-minute campaign video.

"I love New York. I've never wanted to live anywhere else, but something has to change," Nixon says in the video, adding that the government should fix the state's problems with healthcare, mass incarceration and the subway system.

The Siena College Research Institute poll released Monday found Cuomo leading his two Republican opponents by about 2:1 while the two-term Democrat led Nixon 66 percent to 19 percent.

New York gubernatorial election will take place on Nov. 6, 2018, to elect the Governor of New York.