Dairy farmer Blake Gendebien will win the Democratic nomination in the race to succeed U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik in New York’s 21st Congressional District, the Associated Press declared.
The St. Lawrence County farmer defeated businessman Stuart Armoriell in Tuesday’s primary elections, a step closer for him in his prolonged campaign for the northern New York district.
As of the latest unofficial results, Gendebien had 66% of the vote to Armoriell’s 33%, with 40% of the estimated vote counted.
Gendebien will face either state Assemblyman Robert Smullen or Sticker Mule CEO Anthony Constantino on the Republican line in the general election in November.
Gendebien was primarily backed by agricultural groups, local Democratic committees and the Democratic establishment. He actually entered the race back in December 2024, when a special election for the seat seemed imminent given President Donald Trump’s nomination of Stefanik as ambassador to the United Nations at the time. When that election never took place — Stefanik’s nomination was pulled — Gendebien committed himself to the 2026 contest.
While the 21st Congressional District is one of the most Republican districts in the state, the Democrats have seen an opportunity here based between the headwinds the GOP faces nationally in a midterm year and the battle happening for the Republican nomination and its similarities to the 2009 special election for the seat. The last time the district elected a Democrat was Bill Owens’ reelection in 2012.
The 21st District is made up of most of the North Country and parts of the greater Capital Region and Mohawk Valley. It is being vacated by Stefanik, who briefly ran for governor, but dropped that bid and decided not to seek reelection to her House seat either after 12 years in Congress.
Election Day is Nov. 3.