Primary Election Day in New York State is almost upon us, in less than two weeks till June 23.
Mohawk Valley voters registered with one of the two major political parties who reside in the 21st U.S. Congressional district will have the opportunity to weigh in on which of two candidates will represent their party in the general election on Nov. 3.
The primary candidates running to represent the Republican party in the general election are Anthony Constantino and Robert Smullen. The primary candidates on the Democratic primary ballot are Stuart Amoriell and Blake Gendebien.
NY 21 held by Elise Stefanik for over a decade since 2015
Elise Stefanik won the congressional seat in 2014 and has held it since her swearing in Jan., 2015.
The seat was poised to be filled by a special election when Stefanik was nominated by President Donald Trump after winning the presidency back in 2024 to serve as his appointment to United Nations Ambassador.
When the president withdrew the nomination, Stefanik announced that she would not be seeking reelection in lieu of a run for New York’s governorship. While she later withdrew her candidacy, she confirmed she would still not seek reelection to NY 21.
Utica Observer-Dispatch poses questions to primary candidates
To ensure that each candidate has an equitable opportunity to address readers as objectively as possible, the Observer-Dispatch provided each candidate with three open-ended, with a maximum of 400 words in total.
Those questions were:
1. Prices are increasing in many areas for your would-be constituents. What specifically will you do to address this for them?
Question 2: The seat you are running to represent – NY-21 – covers a large area; the district is among the largest geographically in the eastern United States. It includes all of Herkimer County and 22 municipalities in Oneida County. How do you plan to ensure would-be constituents in Herkimer and Oneida Counties have their issues and concerns heard and acted upon?
Question 3: Without speaking negatively about your primary opponent, why are you the best candidate to represent the party in the general election?
Below are the responses the received, unedited, but for proofing corrections. All candidate responses were within the requested word limit.
Candidates also were asked to highlight themselves and their policies; not to attack their opponents.
Gendebien did not provided responses by the deadline provided or before this article went to print.
NY 21 Primary Candidate Responses
Republican Primary Candidates
Anthony Constantino
“President Trump Endorsed NY-21 Congressional Frontrunner. CEO, Sticker Mule.”
1. Prices are increasing in many areas for your would-be constituents. What specifically will you do to address this for them? I will create jobs and grow the economy so people have more money in their pockets to afford things. I’m the only one running that knows how to do this in a big way as I’ve already created thousands of jobs.
Question 2: The seat you are running to represent – NY-21 – covers a large area; the district is among the largest geographically in the eastern United States. It includes all of Herkimer County and 22 municipalities in Oneida County. How do you plan to ensure would-be constituents in Herkimer and Oneida Counties have their issues and concerns heard and acted upon?
I’m an expert in servicing large areas and many people, as my company Sticker Mule services millions of customers globally. I am very excited to dramatically improve how constituent services are handled in NY-21 and beyond as I hope others learn from me.
3. Without speaking negatively about your primary opponent, why are you the best candidate to represent the party in the general election?
I’m endorsed by President Trump and worked to build a strong relationship with him, which means I’m the only candidate positioned to get his help to make life better for our constituents.
Aside from that, I am also the only candidate who has proven to make life better for our citizens in a big way as I built an incredible American Manufacturing company right here in Upstate, New York and did everything possible to take care of the surrounding community.
Now I want to use all of my talents to make life better for our citizens. You said I can’t talk ill of my opponents but it’s really important that voters know my opponent is a career politician who’s only in it for himself …
I’m also self-funding to be nobody’s man but yours in Congress. No special interests will be able to influence me while other candidates on both sides have taken special interest money.
Robert Smullen
“Robert Smullen is running for Congress to represent New York’s 21st District. Trump Appointed. Battle Tested. Upstate First.”
Question 1: Prices are increasing in many areas for your would-be constituents. What specifically will you do to address this for them?
The inflation crisis did not happen by accident. It was the direct result of reckless federal spending, and the families of New York’s 21st District have paid the price at the grocery store, the gas pump, and the utility bill. In Congress, I will fight to cut wasteful federal spending, unleash American energy production, and remove the regulatory burdens that drive up costs for small businesses, manufacturers and farmers. I will also push to end the trade policies that make everyday goods more expensive. Raising my family, I knew that we cannot spend what we do not have. That principle will guide every vote I cast in Washington.
Question 2: The seat you are running to represent – NY-21 – covers a large area; the district is among the largest geographically in the eastern United States. It includes all of Herkimer County and 22 municipalities in Oneida County. How do you plan to ensure would-be constituents in Herkimer and Oneida Counties have their issues and concerns heard and acted upon?
Representing a district this large requires more than showing up at election time. I have spent years building relationships across all 15 counties of New York’s 21st District, and Herkimer and Oneida are no exception. In Congress, I will maintain a strong district presence with accessible, staffed offices that respond to constituent needs. I will hold regular town halls and community meetings throughout the district, including in Herkimer and Oneida, to hear directly from the people I serve. The issues facing communities in the Mohawk Valley – manufacturing jobs, agricultural support, broadband access, and veterans’ services – are not afterthoughts to me. They are the reason I am running.
Question 3: Without speaking negatively about your primary opponent, why are you the best candidate to represent the party in the general election?
I am the only candidate in this race with a proven conservative track record. I served 24 years as a Marine Corps officer, serving three combat tours in Afghanistan and earning the Bronze Star and the Combat Action Ribbon for my service. I was appointed by President Trump to serve in his first Administration, an honor I am proud of to this day. In Albany, I have been a conservative champion, standing up to radical liberal policies and fighting for our farmers, seniors, small businesses, veterans and working families. I have proudly earned the endorsements of the NRA, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, New York Republican Party, the Conservative Party of New York, the NY State Troopers PBA, and 12 Republican county committees. I am ready to win in November and ready to get to work for the people of our district on Day 1.
Democratic Primary Candidates
Stuart Amoriell
“A Northern New York resident & community advocate committed to strengthening the region he calls home. He spent his career building businesses and bringing people together to tackle the challenges facing families, small businesses and local communities.”
Question 1: Prices are increasing in many areas for your would-be constituents. What specifically will you do to address this for them?
Affordability requires action on multiple fronts. One of the first bills I’ll introduce is the National Debt Responsibility Act, a progressive wealth tax on net worth above $50 million, corporate tax reform restoring the rate to 35%, and closing loopholes that let the ultra-wealthy and corporations avoid paying their fair share. Working families shouldn’t be subsidizing the rich.
I support Medicare for All, as eliminating premiums and out-of-pocket costs is one of the most direct ways to put money back in people’s pockets. On housing, expanding affordable supply is essential; without it, every other economic initiative is weakened. Investing in clean energy lowers utility costs and creates local jobs. And restoring our relationship with Canada, damaged badly by this administration, will increase revenue and lower costs for North Country businesses and consumers alike.
Question 2: The seat you are running to represent – NY-21 – covers a large area; the district is among the largest geographically in the eastern United States. It includes all of Herkimer County and 22 municipalities in Oneida County. How do you plan to ensure would-be constituents in Herkimer and Oneida Counties have their issues and concerns heard and acted upon?
Real solutions start locally. The strength of Northern New York lies in its civic organizations, community groups, businesses, and neighborhood networks. My job in Washington won’t be to hand down answers; it will be to listen, amplify, and deliver resources.
Concretely: I’ll maintain active constituent offices in Herkimer and Oneida Counties, launch a “mobile legislative office” that can access communities much like mobile health clinics, hold regular town halls throughout the district, and help municipalities navigate federal grant and loan opportunities through agencies like the SBA, USDA, EDA, HUD, and DOT, because too many communities leave federal dollars on the table due to lack of support with the process. I’ll also serve as a convener, connecting municipalities to share resources and learn from each other. A congressperson can do that across a large district in ways no individual town can.
Question 3: Without speaking negatively about your primary opponent, why are you the best candidate to represent the party in the general election?
NY-21 votes for candidates of both parties. To win in November, the Democratic nominee must speak credibly across the political spectrum. I am that candidate.
I’m not a career politician. I’m a neighbor, a small business owner, a husband, a parent of two young children in Lake Placid. When I talk about housing costs, healthcare access, childcare, or keeping young people in our towns, I’m talking about my own community. These are the issues facing all Northern New York neighbors, regardless of party.
My approach is that no ideology has all the answers; progress comes through humility, common ground, and respect for every voice, which is exactly what a competitive district like NY-21 needs. I can build the coalition that wins in November.
Blake Gendebien
“I’m a husband, a father, second-generation dairy farmer, small business owner, and former Vice Chair of the Co-op Board of Agri-Mark. I was born and raised on a farm in the North Country and I’ve been deeply rooted in this community my whole life.”
Democratic candidate Blake Gendebien did not provide responses by the deadline.
This article originally appeared on Observer-Dispatch: NY-21 congressional primary candidates make their case to voters.
Reporting by Cara Dolan Berry, Utica Observer Dispatch / Observer-Dispatch
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Cara Dolan Berry, Utica Observer Dispatch | USA TODAY Network
