BROOKLYN, N.Y (TIP):  Gov. Andrew Cuomo won the Democratic gubernatorial nomination for the third time Thursday, September 13, overcoming a spirited progressive challenge that highlighted the ongoing ideological divide within the Democratic Party.

Cuomo defeated Cynthia Nixon, 52, an actress and education activist backed by an array of left-leaning groups, who had trouble convincing voters that she had the experience needed to run the fourth-largest state in the country.

Both Cuomo and Nixon sought to make the election about Trump. “Together, we can show the entire country that in the era of Donald Trump, New Yorkers will come together and lead our nation forward,” Nixon wrote Wednesday evening in a final message to supporters.

Cuomo, for his part, spent millions on ads to argue that he’s the most qualified candidate to push back against the White House. He also touted liberal accomplishments such as gun control, free public college tuition and a higher minimum wage.

Cuomo, 60, a two-term incumbent, is due to face Dutchess County Executive Marc Molinaro, a Republican, and former Syracuse Mayor Stephanie Miner, a Democrat running as an independent, in the November general election. He is heavily favored to win a third term.