She was at an event encouraging women to become politically active.  

A moment later, Cynthia Nixon, for the first time, said she was thinking of making history as New York’s first woman governor.  

"Maybe," she said.

It wasn't the fullest of interviews. We asked again, and then again. Maybe is all we’d get. But it confirmed what had been a rumor for weeks, that Nixon was eying a challenge to Governor Andrew Cuomo from the left.  

If she does run, she may not need much help with speechwriting. Her barnbuster quoted Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Shirley Chisholm.  

She then spoke to to spillovers.  

It captivated both audiences, mostly young, professional, female, and eager to channel their anger over Donald Trump into electing women.  

"When push comes to shove, I have the ultimate faith in women, and in young women in particular. And in women of color, most of all," Nixon said.

Of note, Nixon is a longtime ally of Mayor Bill de Blasio.

"Who I would stump for anytime, any place, anyhow," Nixon said. 

She didn’t mention Cuomo, with whom de Blasio has a famous feud.  

Nixon also recently sharply criticized Cuomo on education funding during a national TV interview.  

"I think that she should run for office," said Helen Rosenthal, a City Councilwoman who represents the Upper West Side.

"She comes from the Upper West Side, so I’ve seen her in action. I’ve seen her for fight for her kids and her public school to make sure the city was doing right by them," Rosenthal said.

She'd face a well-funded and decently popular opponent in Cuomo.  

Four years ago, law professor Zephyr Teachout challenged Cuomo from the left. She got a bit more than one-third of the vote.  

Nixon said this November, male elected officials can expect a rude awakening in November.  

To be sure, she said she supports some men. But Cuomo wasn’t on that list.  

"Time's up," she said. "And I don’t just mean about sexual harassment. I mean across the board. Time's up."

The Cuomo campaign declined comment. A campaign source pointed to a recent poll showing the governor with his best favorability rating since June 2014.