Cuomo Defeats Fordham Professor in Democratic Primary

By Joe Vitale

Governor Andrew M. Cuomo, FCRH ’79, defeated Fordham professor Zephyr Teachout on Tuesday in the Democratic primary for New York Governor.

Teachout, the incumbent’s primary challenger, led a blazing campaign throughout the summer, quickly uniting frustrated liberal voters who found Cuomo’s positions to be too centrist for a Democratic candidate.

But, with just 43 percent the primary’s votes decided, Cuomo earned more than 60 percent of the vote, beating Teachout, who received 35 percent of the electorate.

Following his decisive victory, Cuomo will be heading into the November election against Rob Astorino, FCRH ’89, his Republican challenger.

As of Tuesday, third party candidate Randy Credico grabbed just under 5 percent of the vote as of Tuesday evening.

Cuomo’s victory also comes after a campaign by Fordham students to host a debate at Fordham.

The group, led by students Tom Samuelson, GSB ’16, and Evan Swager, FCRH ’16, was backed by a number of Fordham administrators and student groups.

The students attempted to use the “Fordham connection” among the candidates as a drawing point for a debate at Rose Hill. Incumbent Andrew Cuomo, a Democrat, received his B.A. from Fordham in 1979.

Rob Astorino, a Republican challenger and current Westchester County executive, graduated with his B.A. from Fordham a decade later. An associate professor of law at Fordham Law School, Teachout has the most recent connection to Fordham.

But, despite receiving preliminary endorsements from Teachout and Astorino, the group’s invitation to debate was declined by Cuomo, which led to some harsh criticism from those on the governor’s far left and right.

One of his most ardent critics has been Christina Greer, a professor of political science at from Fordham University.

Speaking with Gotham Gazette, she claimed that “powerful men generally have a hard time debating educated woman.” She continued, “It’s very easy for men to come across as dismissive or generally unpleasant in that situation.”

Last week, Greer, along with a number of others, hosted a debate between Teachout and Astorino on PIX11. With Cuomo nowhere to be seen, the candidates discussed issues such as hydro-fracking, proposed gun policies, marriage equality and education.

Additionally, as of Tuesday, Cuomo’s running mate for lieutenant governor, Kathy Hochul, also defeated Teachout’s running mate, Tim Wu, a law professor at Columbia University.

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Joe Vitale is the Managing Editor for The Fordham Ram.