Voters began casting their ballots in this year's primaries for New York's 21st Congressional District on Saturday. After six terms represented by U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, New Yorkers in the Adirondacks are selecting who will be on the ballot to replace her in November.
Businessman Anthony Constantino and Assemblyman Robert Smullen are facing off for the Republican nomination, while businessman Stuart Amoriell and farmer Blake Gendebien are seeking the Democratic nod.
WAMC and North Country Public Radio teamed up to profile each of these candidates ahead of primary voting. The stories of these four candidates are below.
Early primary voting runs through Sunday and Election Day is June 23.
Republicans
Anthony Constantino
Sticker Mule’s factory floor is busy fulfilling orders. Workers bounce between machines pumping out sheets of custom stickers.
It’s all part of the Amsterdam business that Constantino founded in 2010 — it’s now an international company that employs over 1,000 people across the globe.
But now Constantino is pursuing a new venture – he’s running as the only Republican candidate for NY-21 to receive President Donald Trump’s endorsement.
Read the full story here.
Robert Smullen
Smullen has been endorsed by the state Republican Party and 12 of the 15 county GOP committees across the 21st District. Constantino has been endorsed by President Donald Trump. As he introduced Smullen to the crowd in Altona, Clinton County Republican Committee 1st Vice Chair Jeff Luck said that was a mistake.
“Assemblyman Robert Smullen understands leadership at the highest level. And I think everybody here knows that our President Trump clearly got it wrong,” he said.
Smullen is outgoing and gregarious as he meets Republican voters. The current 118th Assembly District representative sat down in a side room to tell WAMC just who he is.
Read the full story here.
Democrats
Blake Gendebien
Back in December 2024, Gendebien threw his hat in the ring for an anticipated special election to replace North Country Congresswoman Elise Stefanik after President Donald Trump nominated her as the next U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.
The district’s 15 county party chairs unanimously voted Gendebien their presumptive nominee. Trump ultimately pulled Stefanik’s nomination and the special election never happened.
But Gendebien stayed on the campaign trail.
Read the full story here.
Stuart Amoriell
In early December, Amoriell announced his campaign from the back of a snow-covered pickup truck at John Brown Farm in Lake Placid. Along with pushing for a “just and compassionate immigration policy,” Amoriell has also made affordability a key focus of his campaign.
He said it’s too hard for most people to make a good living in the North Country.
"Housing is hard to find and ridiculously expensive, whether you’re looking to buy or you’re renting. The cost of groceries—we all understand how much it’s gone up," said Amoriell.
Another top issue of Amoriell's campaign is healthcare.
Read the full story here.
