Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks at a campaign rally for Zephyr Teachout at Hasbrouck Park in New Paltz, N.Y. | Tania Barricklo/The Daily Freeman via AP Sanders stumps with Teachout, saying she embodies the values of his campaign

NEW PALTZ — Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders held a joint rally with New York congressional candidate Zephyr Teachout on Friday in hopes of notching a progressive electoral victory and continuing his so-called “political revolution.”

Speaking just outside of the campus of SUNY-New Paltz, Sanders touched on many of the lines — an average campaign contribution of $27, taking on “millionaires and billionaires” — that became hallmarks of his bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, and said that Teachout embodies those same values.


“Zephyr understands that in a time with so much inequality in wealth, yes the wealthiest people in this country and the largest corporations are going to start paying their fair share,” he said. “You need a leader who will stand up to the billionaire class and tell them they cannot have it all.”

Teachout, a law professor at Fordham University, has built her public profile as a vocal activist on progressive issues, like hydro-fracking and campaign finance reform. Sanders said he crossed paths with Teachout years ago at an event opposing the North American Free Trade Agreement.

“We were right then, and we are right today to say no to the Trans Pacific Partnership,” he said Friday. “We demand that corporate America start investing in this country [and] create good paying jobs for the people of New Paltz, the people of Vermont, the people of America.”

Sanders did not attack Teachout’s Republican opponent, John Faso, by name, but he did call out Faso's time as a lobbyist, as well as the PAC that supports him — New York Wins PAC.

The Brooklyn-born Vermonter spoke for just under 13 minutes before ceding the stage to the born Vermonter, who now lives in New York.

“This is about true grass roots, neighbor-to-neighbor, person-to-person politics, not big-money politics,” Teachout said.

“We can take our piece of America, our communities, our towns and farms and make them better than they ever have been,” she said, promising she would demand to be on the House agriculture committee if elected.

She thanked Sanders for coming to upstate New York and promised to continue fighting in the same vein as him.

“Thank you Bernie for being an independent fighter,” she said. “I promise you, I will be an independent fighter for all of us when I’m in Congress.”

Teachout is running to replace Republican Chris Gibson in the 19th congressional district, which spans 11 counties and covers Hudson Valley and the Catskills. Faso, her opponent, is a former Assembly minority leader, and the two held their first debate Thursday.

In addition to Teachout, Sanders has been fundraising for a number of candidates around the country, on the state and congressional level, in hopes of pushing American politics in a more progressive direction.