25-03-2025
Stec leading NY-21 Conservative Party preferences
The state Conservative Committee has narrowed its selection of a candidate in the upcoming 21st Congressional District special election to three candidates, all Republicans, with state Sen. Dan Stec (R-Queensbury) being the 'party preference,' Conservative party spokesman William O'Reilly said Sunday.
PARTY PREFERENCE
The Conservative Party Executive Committee will be meeting with Stec, Assemblyman Chris Tague (R-Schoharie), and Liz Joy, a conservative speaker and writer from Glenville, in the coming days.
'The Party could get behind any one of those three candidates, but Senator Stec remains the Party preference,' O'Reilly said. 'The Conservative Party has informed GOP leaders that it hopes to work with them to advance one of these three. Discussions are ongoing.'
The special election will be held to fill the congressional seat that will be vacant when U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik resigns to become U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations.
VOTE NEARING
A U.S. Senate confirmation vote is expected to be held around April 2, according to multiple national news reports.
Unlike a regular election, there is no primary in a special election.
Party chairs in the 15 counties in the 21st Congressional District select the nominee.
All three of the Conservative Party's acceptable candidates are also seeking the Republican nomination, and were on a list of 11 finalists Republican leaders announced earlier this month.
State election law allows candidates to run on multiple party lines and combine the votes received on all lines in the tabulation.
Conservative party leaders have said they hope to run the same candidate as the Republican party.
The Democratic candidate is Blake Gendebien, a farmer from Lisbon, in St. Lawrence County.
The Gendebien campaign announced March 19 that it has raised more than $2 million since mid-December.
