Nasty upstate Republican primary tests power of Trump endorsement

Jim Zecca is such a supporter of Donald Trump that in 2016 he took a bus from upstate New York to New Hampshire to campaign for the then-longshot real estate developer shaking up the GOP.

So, when the Republican president endorsed first-time candidate Anthony Constantino over party-backed Robert Smullen for an open congressional seat, Zecca followed suit. He drove to a rally toting an oversized cutout of Trump’s head, which he affixed above one of Constantino’s signs.

“Bob is a nice guy,” Zecca explained. “What really did it for me was President Trump made his endorsement [of Constantino]. And I’ve got to go with President Trump's endorsement. He needs people that are going to fight in Washington for America First. That's who he picked, so I'm with him all the way.”

Trump’s endorsement has been political gold for candidates across the country this cycle. The Constantino-Smullen clash has turned into a litmus test of the president’s clout among New York Republicans, and how much influence party leaders in the state have over voters in a 15-county district stretching from the Mohawk Valley to the Canadian border.

Constantino, 43, pivoted his family business into an online printing company called Sticker Mule. He briefly boxed in Mexico. He entered politics by erecting a massive “Vote for Trump” sign on one of his factories and later gifted the president a bronze Trump statue.

Smullen, 57, is a retired Marine Corps colonel who has represented parts of the congressional district in the state Assembly since 2019. Colleagues in both parties say he gracefully dealt with the untimely death of his teenage son. He sponsored a law in his honor that governs roadside memorials to victims of traffic crashes.

The race has gotten incredibly nasty. Smullen and his supporters say Constantino is boorish, unstable and unqualified for office. Constantino’s camp counters that Smullen is boring, ineffective and dishonest. They’ve threatened to sue each other and parried attacks and counterattacks at campaign events in the final week before the primary.

“It’s a fascinating race that is very difficult to predict,” Utica University political science professor Luke Perry said. “You've got the clear sort of insider candidate, Robert Smullen, who's come up through state government after a career in the military. He’s sort of slowly worked his way up. Against Anthony Constantino, who's a sort of unorthodox, businessman-politician — a la Trump.”

The candidates generally agree on all major issues — including fierce support for Trump. Perry says that will leave voters to judge the men based on their character and background — with personal connections helping.

Smullen has attacked Constantino for printing stickers on behalf of clients advocating for defunding the police and supporting Democrats. He has also attacked Constantino for previously registering as a Democrat. Constantino said he did so to vote in a primary election while living in Albany, and said his company removes offensive sticker orders when they’re identified.

Constantino has attacked Smullen for having what he calls a "Communist China-linked solar farm" on his property that receives tax subsidies. Smullen says that the panels were made by a Korean company, LG.

Constantino also blasts Smullen for cheating on his taxes, pointing to a case in which Smullen was charged with a felony for what prosecutors said was improperly claiming a veteran’s exemption on a second home. Smullen later pleaded guilty to a violation to resolve the matter.

Smullen has won over many local Republican committee members in the district and secured formal endorsements from a dozen county-level committees. Linda Clark decided to support Smullen after listening to both candidates at a meeting of the Warren County Republican Committee. She asked Constantino about some of his online statements, and she said he verbally attacked her.

“I think he is a loose cannon. I think he is highly inappropriate. I think he is combative on an unnecessary scale,” said Clark, who leads a women’s GOP group in the Adirondacks.

A local sheriff escorted Constantino out of another meeting that turned tense. The businessman has sued or threatened to sue his critics in the area, including journalists. Clark and other local Republicans cited those behaviors in their decisions to back Smullen.

State GOP Chair Ed Cox followed the lead of local leaders in formally endorsing Smullen.

“He has stood up to one-party rule, defended our constitutional freedoms, backed law enforcement, and fought for the rural communities that are too often ignored by New York’s political establishment,” Cox said.

Trump, in a social media endorsement, noted that Constantino was backed by “Highly Respected MAGA Warriors” including Roger Stone — whose firm Constantino’s campaign has paid $180,000 for political and communications strategy consulting.

“Anthony has been such a Great Supporter that he actually put up a somewhat ‘controversial’ sign, against strong opposition, in my honor. The sign is still there!” Trump wrote . “HE IS A GREAT GUY WHO WILL NEVER LET YOU DOWN!”

Both candidates emphasized their ties to Trump during a televised debate last month that ended with Smullen refusing to shake Constantino’s hand. The men are vying to succeed U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, a staunch Trump loyalist who was the president’s pick for ambassador to the United Nations. The nomination was pulled, and Stefanik announced her retirement after Trump declined to back her now-scuttled campaign for governor.

Harry Phelps is a 64-year-old retired utility worker from Gloversville who supports Smullen. Phelps said that Constantino often spoke after Smullen during the debate and didn’t have specific positions.

“I wish that he went first on everything instead of him jumping on the bandwagon,” Phelps said. “He didn't know what to say, really. And he doesn't have much to say except for, ‘President Trump, President Trump, President Trump.’”

Phelps rallied on Tuesday with Smullen as the candidate cast his ballot. Smullen has said that Trump made a mistake in endorsing Constantino; other Smullen supporters say Trump was misled by Stone and was distracted by the Iran War.

The candidate touted the support of local Republicans.

“People like what you see behind me, we are the face of the Republican primary,” he said. “Character counts. If you want something done, send a Marine to Washington, DC.”

The crowd was bigger on Thursday at a medical device company where Constantino won the endorsement of U.S. Rep. Jim Jordan, a Republican from Ohio and a founding member of the conservative House Freedom Caucus.

Joan Lewandowski, 72, came from nearby St. Johnsville. She likened Constantino to Stefanik — who has conspicuously declined to make an endorsement in the primary.

“He's got the same ideas as Elise Stefanik had. And he's a Trump supporter. I mean, my God, what more could you want, you know?” Lewandowski said of Constantino.

Lewandowski said she heard about Constantino from his commercials. He is self-funding his campaign and has spent $6.6 million. That’s almost nine times as much as Smullen’s total $775,000 outlay, which was buttressed by a $1 million personal loan.

Democrats have a primary between party-favorite Blake Gendebien and Stuart Amoriel, who is running a shoestring effort. Top Democrats say they would prefer to run against Constantino, in part because Smullen has secured the Conservative Party line, which puts him on the general election ballot regardless of whether he wins the GOP primary.

Perry, the political science professor, agreed that the race would be more competitive if the Republicans continued their fight into November. But absent that, he said he expects the seat — which Trump won by 16 percentage points in 2024 — will stay in the GOP column.

Constantino on Thursday said he was happy to have Trump and Jordan’s support and brushed aside the party’s backing of Smullen.

“People generally that have been running an organization for a long time don't like outsiders,” he said. “People are resistant to turnarounds until you make it happen, and then they like you. So, I think everyone's going to end up liking me.”

CORRECTION: This story has been updated to fix Anthony Constantino’s description of Robert Smullen’s solar farm.