Albany

Republican congressional candidate John Faso's campaign criticized Democrat Zephyr Teachout for accepting Gov. Andrew Cuomo's rather generic endorsement of his 2014 primary rival.

"I will support the Democratic nominee for Congress in that district" was the extent of Cuomo's support, offered Wednesday in the 19th Congressional District race.

Teachout's response to the governor's thumbs-up was similarly pro forma: "While the governor and I obviously have had our differences, I appreciate his support," she said in a brief statement. "I look forward to working with him in advocating nationally for economic growth in the Hudson Valley and Catskills."

The Thursday release from Faso's campaign referred to Teachout, who teaches at Fordham Law School, as "Vermont-native-turned-New York City-professor-turned Hudson-Valley-weekender-turned-NY-19-congressional-candidate" and claims she has "dived headfirst into the transactional worlds of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and presumptive Democratic Party presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in order to enlist their financial and material support in her run for Congress."

Teachout "got herself famous in left-wing circles by calling out Andrew Cuomo and Hillary Clinton as corrupt shills for monied interests in Albany and Washington and on Wall Street, and now she's hitched up with both of them because it's politically advantageous to her," Faso spokesman Dain Pascocello said in a statement. " ... Just like with Sean Eldridge, the people of this district can sense a phony."

Eldridge was the deep-pocketed Democrat crushed in the 2014 election by GOP Rep. Chris Gibson, who is not seeking re-election.

Faso is a former assemblyman who unsuccessfully ran for governor and state comptroller. He subsequently joined the a partner law firm of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips, one of the state's top lobbyists. Faso left that firm in 2013 to launch his own Kinderhook-based consulting business.

Teachout's campaign declined to respond.

cseiler@timesunion.com • 518-454-5619 • @CaseySeiler