{"id":377625,"date":"2026-10-20T05:04:38","date_gmt":"2026-10-20T05:04:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/377625\/"},"modified":"2026-10-20T05:04:38","modified_gmt":"2026-10-20T05:04:38","slug":"sticker-tycoon-trump-cheerleader-rapper-congressman-us-midterm-elections-2026","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/377625\/","title":{"rendered":"Sticker tycoon. Trump cheerleader. Rapper. Congressman? | US midterm elections 2026"},"content":{"rendered":"

The boss of a New York<\/a>-based sticker company, whose staunch support for Donald Trump<\/a> prompted him to record a Maga-themed rap album and call<\/a> for an extension of Mount Rushmore to add the president\u2019s face, is running for Congress<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Anthony Constantino, who began a brief pro boxing career at age 40, is the Republican candidate for GOP congresswoman Elise Stefanik\u2019s seat in New York\u2019s 21st district.<\/p>\n

While Trump won <\/a>the district by 21 points in 2024, and it has been represented by a Republican in the US House of Representatives since 2015, the party\u2019s lead appears to have dwindled significantly as Constantino, 43, campaigns for voters to send him to Washington.<\/p>\n

His lead in recent polls<\/a> has fallen to single digits; one survey earlier this month put him four points behind. In September, the Cook Partisan Voting Index shifted <\/a>the race from solid Republican to likely Republican. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee added<\/a> the district to its Red to Blue program in early October.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m running for Congress. I built a company with over 1,000 people. Not an easy thing to do,\u201d Constantino said, referring to his company, Sticker Mule. \u201cI went pro in boxing at the age of 40. Not an easy thing to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mike Tyson \u201cdecided to endorse me\u201d, he added in an interview, claiming the former boxing world champion had only endorsed four candidates. \u201cIt\u2019s not easy to get endorsed by Mike Tyson.\u201d<\/p>\n

Most political candidates lay out their agenda in lengthy publications, or campaign speeches. In December 2025, Constantino released a 20-track album \u2013 titled Thank You President Trump \u2013 which praised the president\u2019s alleged golfing prowess and described how the world purportedly loves him . It took two weeks to complete, according to a press release<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just realize it\u2019s good to be different, first of all,\u201d Constantino said of the album. \u201cSecondly, some people like listening to speeches. Other people like listening to music. Not everybody in this country wants to listen to political speeches.\u201d<\/p>\n

Anthony Constantino (far left) and Donald Trump listen as New York Republican congressional candidate Mike LiPetri speaks on 14 August 2026 in Garden City, New York. Photograph: Samuel Corum\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

In one song, Family Man, \u201cI talked about the fact that President Trump built a great family\u201d, he said. In another, Fight, \u201cI talked about President Trump standing up after he got shot\u201d, he added.<\/p>\n

In another song, War, \u201cI talked about how horrible war is, and how we want to stay away from war to how we want peace\u201d, Constantino said. Trump launched a war with Iran in February, which he has struggled to end in recent months, as polling indicated its widespread unpopularity among Americans.<\/p>\n

In Hole in One, Constantino talks up Trump\u2019s golf game. \u201cHe shot multiple holes in one,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s not an easy thing to do. And I\u2019m a person that believes if you can do one difficult thing, you can do another difficult thing.\u201d<\/p>\n

Far from simply praising the president, Constantino has also used his music to launched extraordinary \u2013 and, in some cases, xenophobic and racist \u2013 attacks on other politicians. In September 2025, he published<\/a> a music video on WorldStarHipHop criticizing the New York City mayor, Zohran Mamdani, rapping: \u201cFirst off, fuck you, bitch. I see through your game. You ain\u2019t from here. You\u2019re from Uganda, where your friends kill gays.\u201d<\/p>\n

Constantino has also called<\/a> Mamdani a \u201cwannabe terrorist\u201d and in 2025 offered to pay 10 people $500 each if they told the mayor that Constantino \u201csays his terrorist-loving Daddy is a coward who hides behind his weak little boy\u201d.<\/p>\n

His brash rhetoric has also upset fellow Republicans<\/a>, triggering several acrimonious legal battles.<\/p>\n

Blake Gendebien, a dairy farmer<\/a> in Lisbon, New York, and the Democratic candidate in the race for New York\u2019s 21st district, is in no doubt of the primary issue affecting residents.<\/p>\n

\u201cFor the past nearly 22 months, we\u2019ve been crisscrossing the district, and lowering costs is the number one issue,\u201d he said in an interview. \u201cInflation is outpacing our veterans and our seniors in New York\u2019s 21st district. It\u2019s time that we had a congressperson from rural America who really understands what it\u2019s like, because as a farmer, I can\u2019t ignore the prices of diesel fuel, gasoline, fertilizer and food. We go through it as well.\u201d<\/p>\n

The 21st congressional district has one of the largest populations<\/a> of veterans in New York, and the largest population of seniors in the state. Fort Drum<\/a>, a US army base with more than 17,000 military and civilian employees, is the largest single-site employer in the district.<\/p>\n

Gendebien criticized Trump\u2019s war in Iran, its impact on gas prices and the lack of congressional approval for the president\u2019s military actions.<\/p>\n

Anthony Constantino at a Trump rally event in Syracuse, New York, on 9 October 2026. Photograph: Bloomberg\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

\u201cOne in three households in this district are union households,\u201d Gendebien said, claiming Constantino had previously backed campaigns which would \u201cdestroy unions\u201d.<\/p>\n

\u201cI am not a fan of unionization,\u201d Constantino told the Watertown Daily Times<\/a> in January 2026. \u201cI want to support our law enforcement 100%, but as a CEO, unions are a barrier between management and the workers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gendebien criticized Constantino\u2019s views on labor, and wealthy background, as out of step with the district\u2019s constituents, whose median household income is about $70,000 annually<\/a>, below the national average.<\/p>\n

\u201cThese aren\u2019t reflections of how we live in the North Country, and he\u2019s on a $16m vacation through the district because he\u2019s trying to buy himself the seat. That\u2019s not how we live up here,\u201d added Gendebien. \u201cNobody knows anybody that can put that kind of money into a congressional seat.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re just trying to make decisions on food or fuel, we\u2019re trying to figure out how to keep our small businesses open, how to keep our school systems viable, how to save our rural healthcare. So he\u2019s not a great fit for the district.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Constantino was born into a wealthy family in Amsterdam, New York, a neighboring congressional district, although he now lives <\/a>in Edinburg, New York, in the 21st congressional district. He was previously registered as a Democrat, which Constantino told the Glens Falls Chronicle <\/a>was only due to supporting a friend\u2019s bid for Albany\u2019s mayoral seat in 2017.<\/p>\n

His father, who died from cancer when Constantino was six years old, invented<\/a> the car litter bag in the 1950s. After attending the Albany Academy, a private school where tuition<\/a> for high school is currently $28,760, he attended<\/a> the Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and earned enough credits to be considered an alumnus, though he never completed a degree; Constantino claimed<\/a> this was due to financial issues with the family company, Noteworthy, that he had to leave school to address while his mother <\/a>ran the company.<\/p>\n

Asked what he would do to help New Yorkers struggling to make ends meet, Constantino cited<\/a> \u201cOperation Overhaul\u201d, his proposal to upgrade software across government and tackle \u201chidden costs\u201d affecting Americans.<\/p>\n

\u201cOne thing that I do that requires no legislation, I\u2019m uniquely qualified to do, is just be a champion for creating jobs,\u201d he said. \u201cMore than anything, the biggest hidden cost in New York state is the fact that people are leaving.\u201d<\/p>\n

New York state\u2019s population hit a record <\/a>in April 2020, with more than 20.2 million people, but dropped by hundreds of thousands during the Covid-19 pandemic. It has slightly rebounded, but remains down more than 200,000 from the 2020 census count.<\/p>\n

\u201cI also want to do other sensible things \u2013 a lot of other sensible things, too \u2013 but the big ones [are that] we got to inspire people to come back, fight for funding for the district for things that make sense like rural healthcare, Operation Overhaul to update all of our government systems, keep the border secure because there\u2019s a hidden cost when illegal immigrants cross the border illegally,\u201d he said. \u201cThere\u2019s a hidden cost to crime. There\u2019s hidden cost of people leaving, and I want to address all those things in Congress.\u201d<\/p>\n

Anthony Constantino at a press conference to discuss an investigation into his Democratic opponent Blake Gendebien for illegal dumping, on 5 October 2026, in Colonie, New York. Photograph: Albany Times Union\/Hearst Newspapers\/Getty Images<\/p>\n

Constantino\u2019s claim of being a \u201cchampion\u201d of job creation has invited scrutiny. As of September 2025, according to a company filings<\/a>, Sticker Mule employed 446 full-time employees at two sites in Amsterdam, New York \u2013 down from 610 full-time employees in November 2024.<\/p>\n

Sticker Mule \u2013 which claims to employ about 1,200 employees<\/a> globally, with production in Amsterdam, New York; Pisa, Italy; and Gaffney, South Carolina \u2013 laid off 68 employees from its Amsterdam facility in April 2025, citing automation and robots in Italy. \u201cThe best way to keep manufacturing in the USA is to automate, automate, automate to do more with fewer people and offer higher wages,\u201d Sticker Mule said in a statement<\/a> defending the layoffs.<\/p>\n

When asked about the layoffs, Constantino cited a recent economic impact report<\/a> commissioned by Sticker Mule which claimed that, from 2016 to 2025, it generated an estimated $2.7bn in economic impact and supported 9,500 jobs in New York.<\/p>\n

\u201cAfter I endorsed President Trump, I endured a massive boycott, and my sales declined,\u201d said Constantino, who claimed that sales were rebounding. \u201cWe\u2019re hiring again, and wages are going up because of automation.\u201d<\/p>\n

Gendebien has not been spared his attacks. Constantino accused his opponent of illegally dumping tires, dead cattle and debris at a site in the district they are contesting. Gendebien\u2019s campaign says the alleged dumping did not take place on his property.<\/p>\n

Constantino has largely self-funded his congressional campaign with $16m<\/a>. \u201cWe want successful people in general getting involved in politics because who became successful in business or in sports or in whatever, it shows that you\u2019re pretty sharp and you\u2019re a good thinker and you can get things done,\u201d Constantino argued.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not easy to become Mike Tyson,\u201d added Constantino. \u201cIt\u2019s not easy to become [wrestler] Henry Cejudo, a friend of mine.\u201d<\/p>\n

As he pushes for election to Washington, where do the businessman\u2019s ambitions end?<\/p>\n

In another song on his hip-hop album, titled Trump, Constantino claims that people across the world adore his political idol. \u201cYou know North Koreans, they love Donald Donald Trump<\/a> \/ South Koreans, too, they love Donald Donald Trump,\u201d he raps. \u201cI forgot Japan \/ They love Donald Donald Trump.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAs somebody that ran a global company, I travel a lot,\u201d he explained in an interview. \u201cI speak multiple languages. I know people all over the world, and I wanted people to understand that President Trump is actually liked all over the world. I just tried to educate people about that fact just to reduce the hatred. I think we should argue over ideas and not hate. We should try to stay away from having such strong animosity towards each other.\u201d<\/p>\n

But another line in the song highlights another aspiration.<\/p>\n

\u201cMan, I gotta say, I love Donald Donald Trump,\u201d he raps. \u201cMight be president one day, just like Donald Donald Trump.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The boss of a New York-based sticker company, whose staunch support for Donald Trump prompted him to record…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":377626,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[9,11,10],"class_list":["post-377625","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-new-york","tag-new-york","tag-new-york-headlines","tag-new-york-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/377625","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=377625"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/377625\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/377626"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=377625"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=377625"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ny\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=377625"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}