Zephyr Teachout wants to end corruption in American politics. She takes the long view of history, where the arc of the political universe bends toward progress.
When asked about her influences, she eschews more recent icons like John F. Kennedy or Lyndon B. Johnson in favor of early 20th century figures like Teddy Roosevelt, Louis Brandeis, and William Jennings Bryan.
"These are people who, trapped in one circumstance managed to organize and create a new one; it gives you an extraordinary sense of possibility, understanding that the world can be better, can be different," Teachout said in a phone interview.