Anthony Constantino’s Bid for New York’s 21st Congressional Seat

Republican businessman Anthony Constantino is the GOP nominee for New York’s 21st congressional district, seeking to succeed Representative Elise Stefanik. The district, which Trump carried by 21 points in 2024, has been held by a Republican since 2015. Recent polling shows Constantino’s lead has slipped to single digits, with one survey earlier this month placing him four points behind Democratic opponent Blake Gendebien. The Cook Partisan Voting Index moved the race from “solid Republican” to “likely Republican” in September, and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee added the district to its Red-to-Blue program in early October.

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The 21st district includes the Fort Drum military installation and has the state’s largest veteran and senior populations. Median household income is about $70,000, below the national average. Inflation-driven cost pressures on diesel, gasoline, fertilizer and food are central concerns for voters.

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• Anthony Constant0 – 43-year-old founder of Sticker Mule, a sticker-printing company that once employed over 1,000 people worldwide. He previously ran a brief pro-boxing career at age 40 and released a Trump-themed rap album in December 2025.

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• Blake Gendebien – Dairy farmer from Lisbon, New York, and the Democratic nominee. He emphasizes lowering costs for rural residents and highlights the district’s high union-household rate.

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Constantino promotes “Operation Overhaul,” a plan to modernize government software and address “hidden costs” such as out-migration and illegal border crossings. He argues that automating manufacturing can keep jobs in the United States while raising wages. Gendebien focuses on reducing fuel and fertilizer prices, supporting rural healthcare, and defending union workers, noting that one-third of district households belong to a union.

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• Sticker Mule employed 446 full-time workers at its Amsterdam, New York facility in September 2025, down from 610 in November 2024.

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• The company laid off 68 employees in April 2025, citing automation at its Italian plant.

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• Sticker Mule claims a $2.7 billion economic impact in New York from 2016-2025 and support for 9,500 state jobs.

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• Constantino has self-funded his campaign with $16 million.

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Constantino emphasizes his business experience as a qualification for job creation, stating that he can champion employment without new legislation. He frames automation as a path to higher wages, echoing a company statement that “the best way to keep manufacturing in the USA is to automate, automate, automate to do more with fewer people and offer higher wages.” Gendebien counters that Constantino’s wealth and past support for anti-union campaigns are out of step with district residents, arguing that the candidate’s $16 million “vacation” through the district does not reflect local realities.

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The contest will be decided in the November 2026 congressional election. Both campaigns are expected to intensify outreach as the election approaches, with the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee continuing to allocate resources to the district.

The Guardian