BY JIMMY LAWTONNorth Country This Week

Republican Anthony Constantino defeated Democrat Blake Gendebien in New York’s 21st Congressional District, securing a Republican hold on a seat that has been held by the party for much of the past century and ending a contentious campaign that drew national attention and millions of dollars in spending.

Constantino, the CEO of Amsterdam-based Sticker Mule, will succeed outgoing U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, who opted not to seek reelection.

In a very tight race with 51.3% of the vote, Republican Anthony Constantino has unofficially won the race for New York’s 21st Congressional District over Lisbon Democrat Blake Gendebien

According to unofficial election results, Constantino, CEO of Sticker Mule in Amsterdam, received 139,786 votes compared to 133,708 for Gendebien.

The results do not include absentee or mailed ballots received after Monday.

Gendebien had a comfortable lead shortly after early voting and mail-in votes were reported 

Tuesday evening. But his lead narrowed and then disappeared as in-person votes were tallied.

Constantino was particularly strong in Lewis, Herkimer, Fulton and Oneida counties, while Gendebien had a strong lead in Clinton, Essex and Warren counties. In St. Lawrence County, Gendebien received 18,435 votes, compared to 16,215 for Constantino.

The victory reinforces Republican control in a district where the party holds a substantial voter-registration advantage and where President Donald Trump carried the district in 2024.

The race between Constantino and Gendebien became one of the most closely watched congressional contests in New York, with national party organizations pouring resources into the district.

The campaign was defined by sharp personal attacks, disputes over campaign finances, environmental allegations involving Gendebien’s dairy farm and divisions within the Republican Party.

Constantino entered the general election as a political outsider, having defeated Republican state Assemblyman Robert Smullen in a contentious primary.

The Republican primary exposed divisions within the party. Smullen received endorsements from 12 of the district’s 15 county Republican committees, as well as support from the state Republican and Conservative parties.

Constantino’s campaign was marked by confrontations with party officials, including an incident in which he was removed from a St. Lawrence County Republican gathering following a verbal dispute with Smullen.

The primary conflict continued into the general election, with Constantino criticizing the Republican establishment and pledging to overhaul local party committees.

Despite the district’s Republican enrollment advantage, polling showed the race tightening in the final weeks. The race also attracted national attention as Democrats sought to capitalize on dissatisfaction with the Trump administration and economic concerns affecting rural communities.

Constantino’s victory came despite polling that showed Gendebien with a narrow lead, underscoring the competitiveness of the race and the importance of turnout.

Campaign spending

Money was a defining feature of the race.

Constantino, who owns Sticker Mule, committed millions of dollars of his own money to his campaign, repeatedly describing his self-funding as a way to avoid influence from special interests.

Gendebien’s campaign relied heavily on individual contributions and support from national Democratic organizations.

Federal Election Commission filings through Oct. 14 showed Constantino had raised approximately $17.1 million and spent $14.8 million. Gendebien had raised approximately $7.7 million and spent $7.5 million.

The candidates also faced scrutiny over their use of campaign funds.

Constantino pointed to Gendebien’s use of donor money to pay rent to his family’s dairy operation, Twin Mill Farms LLC. Federal campaign filings showed payments totaling $30,000, including $24,000 in December 2025 and $6,000 in April 2026, categorized as rent.

Constantino criticized the arrangement, arguing that campaign contributions were being directed to Gendebien’s family business.

Gendebien’s campaign did not appear to have violated campaign-finance law over the payments. The expenditures were reported in federal campaign filings.

Constantino also faced criticism over his extensive self-funding and campaign spending, with Gendebien and other critics arguing that the amount of money involved raised questions about the influence of wealthy candidates in congressional elections.

Environmental allegations

One of the most contentious issues in the race involved allegations that Gendebien’s dairy farm in Lisbon had illegally dumped waste near a waterway.

Constantino held a news conference in October where he presented drone footage obtained through a private investigation firm. The images appeared to show tires, concrete, building materials and other debris on Gendebien’s property.

Constantino alleged the material had been illegally dumped and called on the state Department of Environmental Conservation and State Police to investigate.

The Republican campaign also released a sworn affidavit from a former Gendebien farm employee who alleged that Gendebien had instructed workers to dispose of deceased cattle near a creek.

Gendebien denied the allegations, describing the former employee as disgruntled and criticizing Constantino for using a private investigator to conduct drone surveillance over his farm.

The DEC confirmed it had received a complaint regarding the property on Sept. 3. The agency said it investigated the complaint, did not observe violations and closed the case.

As the campaign continued, Constantino claimed the DEC had reopened the investigation. The agency disputed that assertion, stating there was no open investigation at the time.

The dispute escalated further after reporting revealed that Constantino’s campaign had paid $28,000 to Lisa Fogarty, a Lisbon woman whose partner had previously worked on Gendebien’s farm and who had threatened to report Gendebien to the DEC, according to media reports.

Federal campaign records described the payment as “GOTV Strategy Consulting.”

Constantino declined to detail the specific work performed, saying he paid people for a variety of services. Fogarty denied being paid for information related to the dumping allegations.

The payment raised questions about the relationship between the campaign’s environmental accusations and the people connected to the complaint.

The environmental dispute became one of the campaign’s defining issues, with Constantino saying that voters deserved answers about the allegations and Gendebien maintaining that the accusations were politically motivated.

TAUNY Interview

One of the campaign’s earliest controversies centered on a 2013 interview with Gendebien that was conducted by Traditional Arts in Upstate New York (TAUNY) as part of a series documenting the challenges facing North Country farmers.

The interview, which had been archived on the Library of Congress website, drew renewed attention after Gendebien secured the Democratic Party’s support for the NY-21 congressional race. Republican officials criticized comments he made about local workers, Hispanic farm employees and the region’s corrections officers.

In the interview, Gendebien described the difficulties of finding reliable farm labor, making remarks that critics characterized as disparaging toward North Country residents.

His comments about corrections officers also drew criticism. Gendebien said officers had limited self-worth, a statement he later explained was intended to describe the demanding nature of the profession and the additional jobs some officers take to find more fulfilling work.

Gendebien defended the interview as an account of the challenges facing a small farmer and business owner, rather than a political statement.

He acknowledged that he could have chosen his words more carefully but said the comments were being taken out of context.

“I’m not a politician, I was a tired farmer and I spoke plainly,” Gendebien said.

The interview became a recurring point of criticism as the campaign developed, with Republicans using the remarks to question Gendebien’s judgment and his ability to represent the district.

Constantino’s campaign highlighted the comments as part of its broader effort to challenge Gendebien’s record and portray the Democrat as out of touch with North Country residents.

Gendebien characterized the focus on the interview as a political attack.

Affordability, health care, border

While the campaign was dominated by controversy, both candidates presented policy agendas aimed at North Country voters.

Gendebien emphasized affordability, rural health care, support for farmers and the economic challenges facing communities along the Canadian border.

He called for measures to reduce the cost of living, improve access to rural hospitals and establish a guest-worker program to help dairy farms and food processors address labor shortages.

Constantino focused on affordability, tax cuts, rural broadband and stricter border security.

He also emphasized his business background and his support for Trump's policies, arguing that his experience running Sticker Mule would help him address economic challenges facing the district.

The candidates differed in their approach to health care, immigration and the role of the federal government, but both emphasized the importance of economic stability for North Country families.

Constantino will now head to Washington where he will join Congress as a member of the minority party as Democrats took control of the House and Senate as he secured victory.

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