Overview
- Voters in the sprawling 21st District chose Sticker Mule CEO Anthony Constantino as the Republican nominee in the primary held on Tuesday, with roughly 59% of the vote reported by state election officials.
- President Donald Trump publicly backed Constantino during the closing days of the race, a move candidates and local officials say helped drive turnout and support for the political newcomer.
- Robert Smullen, the establishment-backed state assemblymember who lost the Republican primary, retained the Conservative Party nomination and said he is evaluating whether to remain on that November ballot line.
- Democrat Blake Gendebien won his party’s primary and will face the Republican nominee in November, and both campaigns have already raised and spent millions with Constantino self-funding heavily and Gendebien reporting significant donor support.
- New York’s electoral fusion rules give third-party lines real impact because candidates have 10 days after the primary to remove themselves from extra ballot lines, and a split between the Republican and Conservative lines could make this otherwise red district notably more competitive.