Metro

Teachout: I have petition signatures to run against Cuomo

By
Social Links for Pat Bailey
Published July 4, 2014, 11:47 p.m. ET
An election lawyer supporting Gov. Cuomo's re-election will file a legal challenge to block Zephyr Teachout (pictured) from challenging the Democratic incumbent on the Working Families Party ballot.
Zephyr Teachout said she will attempt to run against Gov. Cuomo AP

ALBANY— This teacher may soon be learning a lesson in hardball ­politics.

Leftist Fordham law prof Zephyr Teachout says she has rounded up more than enough signatures to run against Gov. Cuomo in the September Democratic primary.

A minimum of 15,000 valid signatures is required. Teachout says she already has 27,000 and is looking to reach 45,000 by Thursday’s deadline.

But Cuomo’s office refuses to say if he intends to challenge those signatures — a sign that he’s seriously considering that option.

If nothing else, a legal challenge by the governor’s campaign would tie up the novice challenger in expensive legal proceedings and force her to devote resources to lawyers instead of voters.

Signatures can be challenged on numerous grounds, starting with whether the signer is actually a registered Democratic voter.

When activists in the Working Families Party attempted to run Teachout as their candidate on the WFP ballot line this coming November, Cuomo cut a deal to push the party’s agenda and get the line himself.