Teachout Says She Hasn't Ruled Out Endorsing Cuomo In General Election
ALBANY, N.Y. (CBSNewYork/AP) -- Law professor Zephyr Teachout said Friday that she is considering her next steps after a surprisingly strong primary challenge to New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, but wouldn't rule out endorsing him in the November election.
Teachout, a Fordham University law professor, told The Associated Press that she hasn't made a decision on whether she'll make an endorsement. She said Cuomo would need to express opposition to hydraulic fracturing for natural gas, or "fracking," before he could earn her support.
``I haven't made a final decision,'' she said of her endorsement.
Teachout won 34 percent of the vote in Tuesday's Democratic primary, a better-than-expected showing against a well-known incumbent who had the backing of the state's Democratic Party apparatus and heavyweights like New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Hillary Clinton.
Teachout, who is also former director of the good-government Sunlight Foundation, criticized Cuomo during his campaign for his support for business-friendly tax cuts, while saying he hadn't done enough to address government corruption and income inequality.
Cuomo spent most of the primary race publicly ignoring Teachout, refusing multiple requests to debate her and holding few campaign events.
Green Party candidate Howie Hawkins is actively courting Teachout's supporters in the general election, saying that he is now the only true progressive in the race. Hawkins finished third in the 2010 race.
On Friday, Teachout, her voice still hoarse from Tuesday's election, urged voters to now focus on helping Democrats take control of the state Senate, calling it an ``essential'' step toward addressing income inequality and boosting funding for education and local communities.
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