SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Howie Hawkins wants Zephyr Teachout voters -- both progressives and conservatives who frustrated with Gov. Andrew Cuomo -- to consider the Green Party in November.

Hawkins, of Syracuse, says his platform to shift the tax burden to wealthy New Yorkers, fight against hydrofracking and impose a higher minimum wage should appeal to most of the 180,000 voters who supported Teachout on Tuesday.

"I'm the the anti-Cuomo vote," Hawkins said. "If that was a progressive vote, I'm the last one on the ballot."

Teachout, a Fordham Law School professor, won over 1 out of three Democratic Party voters on Tuesday, according to unofficial results from the state's Board of Elections. Turnout, however, was abysmally low. Just 9 percent of registered Democrats voted.

But Hawkins, a UPS worker and Teamster making his second run for governor, says Teachout's strong showing throughout Upstate show that liberal Democrats don't want to be taken for granted in November's race.

"He got his nose bloodied," Hawkins said of Teachout's 35 percent vote get. "I think it's good news for my campaign."

Hawkins also believes he has a chance to win over some more conservative Democrats, who may have supported Teachout as a protest against Cuomo's NY Safe Act. Republican Rob Astorino, the Westchester county executive running for governor, also has the same goal.

Hawkins said he called Teachout on Tuesday night and this morning to ask for her endorsement. As of 11 a.m., he had not heard back. A call to her campaign today was not immediately returned.

Hawkins won nearly 60,000 votes in the gubernatorial race in 2010 against Cuomo and Republican Carl Paladino. He's aiming to top that this year, a move that would keep the Green Party on the ballot for another four years.

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