Teachout Declines to Endorse Cuomo (or Howie Hawkins)

Zepyhr Teachout, the law professor who mounted a long-shot primary challenge to Democratic governor Andrew Cuomo, won’t endorse in the general election. Teachout’s 34% showing against Cuomo underlined the governor’s continued problems with his liberal base.

“I’m not going to endorse,” Teachout said on NY1. “I’ve talked to a bunch of my supporters and I think a lot of them are going to vote for Andrew Cuomo on the Working Families Party line and I think a lot of them are gonna support Howie Hawkins. And I actually respect both of those choices–I think both of those make sense.”

Green Party nominee Howie Hawkins, who is in double-digits according to some recent surveys, made a direct appeal to Teachout supporters following her non-endorsement today.

“I am appealing to all those who care about women’s equality, fracking, Albany corruption, clean energy, full and equal funding of schools, the end of high stakes testing, and all the other progressive values Ms. Teachout stood for in her campaign to vote for me on election day,” Hawkins said in a statement. “I am the only progressive candidate running for governor who is campaigning for the progressive values and policies that energized Ms. Teachout’s voters.”