Zephyr Teachout. | Jimmy Vielkind Zephyr Teachout 2.0: A great Democratic hope for the fall Establishment rallies around an insurgent

KINGSTON — Two years ago, Zephyr Teachout electrified the state’s liberal base but annoyed the Democratic establishment in a forceful, but ultimately vain, primary bid against Gov. Andrew Cuomo.

On Tuesday, the mainstream embraced her, cheered her onto a stage and all but carried her on their shoulders — hoping that Teachout, an author and law school professor, will prove a vigorous standard bearer in a toss-up district that could help Democrats retake the House.


“We’re excited about what this means not just for the 19th [congressional district] but obviously as a swing district, what this means for the United States of America,” said Ulster County executive Mike Hein, who introduced Teachout to about 100 people in a refurbished event space in the city’s historic Stockade neighborhood.

They were gathered to celebrate Teachout’s win over Will Yandik, a Columbia County farmer who failed to carve out much ideological separation from Teachout, and was unable to match her star power and fund-raising prowess. The final margin was more than 40 points.

Several Democratic leaders were initially reluctant to back Teachout’s campaign, perhaps as a nod toward Cuomo, the party’s titular leader. He stayed neutral in several contested congressional primaries, but by Tuesday Teachout was able to tout the endorsement of both Chuck Schumer and Bernie Sanders.

And the primary party was a mix of stalwart liberal activists used to pushing rocks uphill against the establishment and stalwart elected officials, all mingling over mellow jazz, hummus, vegan cookies and wine in plastic cups.

There was Joel Tyner and Julian Schreibman, who ran a primary against each other for the seat in 2012. Assemblyman Kevin Cahill mixed in the crowd with Working Families Party activists like Phil Markham, who said he has known Teachout since they worked together on Howard Dean’s campaign in 2004.

“How’s it feel to win instead of being the underdog? Really, really good,” Markham said. “This is going to be a real lesson across New York State that if you want to win, put up a real progressive who will excite the people and energize the people. The milquetoast candidates no longer cut the mustard.”

Teachout almost won the WFP's endorsement in the 2014 gubernatorial race, losing after a bruising convention that extracted promises from Cuomo to help Democrats win back the state Senate. While Cuomo won the line, Teachout retained many rank-and-file stalwarts who helped propel her to a better-than-expected showing in that year's Democratic primary.

That included wins in the 11-county 19th District, which covers the Hudson Valley and Catskills. Teachout beat Cuomo by more than two-to-one in Ulster County , for example, giving her a natural base to draw on when she moved into the district from Brooklyn and announced her candidacy.

Teachout took the stage shortly after 10 p.m., while votes were still being counted but after Yandik conceded. She spent six and a half minutes thanking her supporters, talking about how she had always fought on the side of the little guy, and repeating a promise that if elected, she would “break down the doors of power in Washington.”

“I think the most surprising thing in this race is how much people are ready for a fundamental change, how much anger there is,” Teachout told reporters after her speech. “The issues and the spirit that I hope I bring to this race are the same as two years ago: It’s about water, it’s about jobs, it’s about Common Core and it’s about corruption, and what our American democracy can look like.”

Teachout will now face Republican John Faso, himself a former gubernatorial candidate in 2006, and is expected to contrast herself with former Assembly minority leader by portraying him as a strident opponent on women’s issues and a product of big money politics.

While Faso and his primary opponent, Andrew Heaney, were waging a caustic and expensive primary battle , Teachout has amassed a war chest of more than $900,000 — much of it in small contributions .

Teachout branded Faso the “ultimate insider,” and “a creature of Albany steeped in the dysfunction that pervades both Albany and Congress.” Faso, in turn, said Teachout had just “parachuted in” to the district and was a big-government, tax-and-spend liberal.

Given the competitive nature of the race, expect the full forces of the Democratic establishment to rally at Teachout’s side. For now, though, the voices cheering her loudest are still those normally pushing from the outside.

“Voters in the 19th District now have a rare opportunity to elect a Representative who will lift up their voices and be a national leader in taking on corruption and corporate influence in our politics. The choice for them in November could not be clearer, and eyes of the entire country will continue to be on this race,” said Bill Lipton, the WFP’s executive director. “Score one for the political revolution.”