Trump-Endorsed Newcomer Challenges Establishment Republican in New York Congressional Primary
Anthony Constantino, a political newcomer who operates a sticker business and has prominently displayed Trump support, received a presidential endorsement in the June 23 Republican primary for New York's 21st Congressional District seat being vacated by Elise Stefanik. Constantino is running against state Assembly Member Robert Smullen, a former Marine colonel backed by local party officials, in a race that tests Trump's influence in a solidly Republican upstate district. The contest represents a broader tension within the GOP between Trump-aligned outsiders and traditional conservative establishment figures.
Anthony Constantino, a political newcomer running a sticker business in upstate New York, has secured an endorsement from President Trump in his bid for the Republican nomination in New York's 21st Congressional District. Constantino has built his candidacy around Trump support, including a giant "Vote for Trump" sign atop his business, a hip-hop album titled "Thank you President Trump," and a bronze Trump statue he gifted to the president. He faces state Assembly Member Robert Smullen, a former U.S. Marine Corps colonel with military service and legislative experience, who is backed by local Republican officials but has also cultivated ties to Trump. The largely rural district spanning northern New York is solidly Republican with registered Republicans outnumbering Democrats by roughly 215,000 to 134,000. The race reflects a broader GOP divide between Trump-aligned populist outsiders and traditional conservative establishment candidates, with Constantino attacking Smullen as a "Trump hater" while Smullen positions himself as the experienced, serious alternative.
What different sources said
- AP NewsCenter
Can the man behind a giant pro-Trump sign ride the president’s praise to Congress?
- ABC News PoliticsCenter
Can the man behind a giant pro-Trump sign ride the president’s praise to Congress?
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