Anthony Constantino is a successful upstate businessman who came to the attention of President Donald Trump after erecting a 100-foot sign on the roof of his factory in Amsterdam, NY that read “Vote for Trump.” Now he’s in a battle for the hearts, minds and votes of the people of the sprawling 21st Congressional District.
The district is currently represented by powerhouse politician Elise Stefanik, who is stepping down from the position at the end of the year.
Constantino, a Republican, is self-funding his candidacy against North Country dairy farmer and Democrat Blake Gendebien.
NY-21 is traditionally a red district, but this year, issues around affordability have made the district more of a battleground than it’s been in recent history.
Constantino told Capital Tonight he was skeptical of why the media has described the race with Gendebien as a close one, saying it’s in the media’s interest to make it a close race.
“Nothing against the media but the media has an incentive to paint race as being more competitive because it drives up viewership, it increases fundraising, it drives up profits for them so there’s a financial incentive for people to promote this race as being competitive,” he told Capital Tonight.
The latest Siena University poll from Oct. 9 had Gendebien at 46% and Constantino at 42%.
One of Constantino’s proposals is an effort he calls “Operation Overhaul,” which would create an easy-to-navigate U.S. government interface for consumers.
“I like making life easier for people. The U.S. taxpayer has paid for every single government system in existence, from how you register to vote; to how you talk to the V.A.; to how you apply for immigration; to how you update your driver’s license,” he said. “We can upgrade every single one of these systems from a design-first perspective.”
On issues including the high cost of diesel gas, there isn’t much sunlight between President Trump and Constantino who has made his support of the president a part of his campaign. Constantino said he will address the high cost of diesel fuel by cutting gas taxes as well as by leveraging Venezuela’s enormous oil reserves.
The race between Constantino and Gendebien has been contentious with allegations of impropriety on both sides. During this interview, Constantino alleged that Gendebien’s campaign employs “immigrants,” a foreign citizen and a Communist.
When asked to respond to the allegations, the Gendebien campaign sent the following statement:
“The people Anthony named no longer work for this campaign. If he wants to talk about staff, he can start with his own. His campaign paid $20,000 to a man charged with murder, and his press aide pleaded guilty to stealing from children.”
Capital Tonight has not yet heard from the Constantino camp after a request for further comment.
Constantino wouldn’t acknowledge that there is a chance he could lose the election. When asked if he would support Rep. Mike Johnson for House speaker if he wins the election, the candidate was non-committal.
“We’re going to make that decision,” he said. “It’s called holding your cards close to your vest.”
