Latest news with #Gendebien
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Campaign fundraising in NY-21 gives glimpse into 2026
Jul. 16—The 2026 election season is over a year out, but fundraising for the next congressional race is already underway for a few candidates in NY-21. According to the latest campaign finance reports from the Federal Election Commission, Rep. Elise M. Stefanik is leading the group with over $4 million raised in the second quarter this year. Through her fundraising arms including her campaign, the Team Elise joint fundraising committee, E-PAC and the Elise Victory Fund, she brought in the largest off-year haul of any New York Republican before her. Her main campaign arm, Elise for Congress, raised $1 million, and ended the quarter with $10 million in the bank ready to spend. Stefanik is openly considering a run for governor and could take that money to her campaign against Gov. Kathleen C. Hochul. Stefanik's main opposition for NY-21 in the current landscape had a much less active quarter. Blake Gendebien, running as the leading Democratic candidate for 2026 after he was chosen as the party's preliminary pick for a special election to replace Stefanik that never happened. Gendebien entered the special election with momentum and a large campaign operation, but once Stefanik's elevation to President Donald J. Trump's administration was canceled, the runway for his campaign got a lot longer. According to his quarterly report, Gendebien raised $200,000, almost entirely from individual contributions, but spent $266,224. He ended the quarter with $1,961,649 in available cash on hand, plus about $6,000 in debts and obligations. Gendebien's filings show he was spending more heavily in the early weeks of the quarter — early April, just after it was announced that Stefanik would not be leaving her seat and would remain in the House. Records show the Gendebien campaign had 12 staff members paid directly, between $1,400 and $3,400, constituting a $28,171 payroll, paid out twice each month around April. More recently, the campaign slimmed down; just two people got a direct salary on June 27, the last payday included in this filing. Gendebien is not the only Democrat registered to run in NY-21 for 2025, nor is Stefanik the only Republican registered with the FEC. Because of the anticipated special election, over a dozen people expressed interest in running for Congress if Stefanik left her seat and registered to run. However, because Stefanik never left the seat, no election was formally called and all the interested parties registered to run for the 2026 election. There are 11 people registered to run for Congress in NY-21 in 2026; six have no registered financial activity, including Democrats Pamela Marshall, Justin M. Haller, Andrew Henson and John Gunther. Republican Otto D. Miller is also registered with no activity, as is Community Party candidate Richard Grayson. All of these individuals filed shortly after Stefanik was first nominated to join the Trump administration, so it's not clear if they plan to run in 2026. Registering with the FEC is only one step of seeking office, and registering with the FEC by no means ensures a candidate will actually make it to the primary or general election ballot. A handful of the other candidates do show some financial activity; Paula Collins, who ran against Stefanik last year, raised about $13,500 this year but is moving to close her campaign down. Anthony T. Constantino, an Amsterdam factory owner who self-funded a special election campaign with $2.6 million in money he won betting on Tesla in the stock market, filed a report showing he didn't take any donations, but spent $151,773 to maintain his campaign over the three-month period. The $2.6 million is recorded as a loan from Constantino to his own campaign; giving him the ability to pay it back with money raised in the future or write it off as a loss. It also shows he spent over $33,000 with his own company, Sticker Mule, for events including one $32,500 expense for food, beverages, management and donor mementos recorded on April 2, just before the special election was called off. The campaign recorded relatively small, routine operating charges through the remainder of the quarter, showing definite activity with payments for media production, consulting, software subscriptions, mailer creation, and similar transactions through May and June. One other candidate shows financial activity, although not anything significant in this quarter. Dylan Hewitt, a former Biden Administration staffer in the office of the U.S. Trade Representative, raised over $100,000 in the first quarter of this year, but didn't file anything for this most recent quarter. It also shows he recorded just under $3,000 in operating expenses and refunded close to everything he raised, leaving just $10,642 in his campaign accounts since April. Since April, his campaign recorded just $345 in fundraising and $91 in expenses. In a statement, Hewitt said he is still active in the district, touring the region and speaking with voters, but he isn't fundraising right now. "Tariffs are already driving up prices, and now experts say Elise Stefanik's deciding vote to gut Medicaid could mean a 114-mile stretch with no access to care between Glens Falls and Plattsburgh," he said in a statement to the Times. "It's a one-two punch that makes billionaires even richer while leaving our families with higher grocery bills and skyrocketing health care premiums. That's why, over the last three months, I didn't ask people for what's in their wallets, I spent that time traveling across the north country, asking my neighbors what's on their minds about their futures, their families, and their self-worth." Hewitt has not announced a plan to run for NY-21, which would entail a primary against Gendebien, but he's maintaining a presence at local gatherings, on social media and in local media.
Vancouver Sun
07-07-2025
- Politics
- Vancouver Sun
Hundreds of Americans turn out for 'Elbows Up for Canada' rally
In an effort to show Canadians that many Americans value the relationship between the two countries, hundreds of North Country residents came out to the 'Elbows Up for Canada' rally in Ogdensburg, N.Y. Saturday afternoon. A number of signs, red T-shirts and Canadian flags could be seen in front of Ogdensburg City Hall as many upstate New York residents showed their support for their Canadian friends across the river. 'It's been heartening to see the enthusiasm, and the crowd has been wonderful,' said Ginger Storey-Welch, one of the organizers of the rally. 'We wanted to show Canadians that we care about them and value them.' Start your day with a roundup of B.C.-focused news and opinion. By signing up you consent to receive the above newsletter from Postmedia Network Inc. A welcome email is on its way. If you don't see it, please check your junk folder. The next issue of Sunrise will soon be in your inbox. Please try again Interested in more newsletters? Browse here. Overall, approximately 200 Americans showed up to the rally, many with signs and T-shirts that were Canadian-themed. One of those people was Pat Kingsley, who wanted to support the cause and have her voice heard. 'What Candians have been hearing from our administration is not what's in our hearts,' she said. 'Canadians have always treated us fabulously.' The rally was meant as a display of friendship amid the ongoing trade war between the United States and Canada, and U.S. President Donald Trump's repeated remarks suggesting Canada should become the 51st state. The event began at 1 p.m. at Ogdensburg City Hall, where organizers got the rally going on a sunny Saturday afternoon. Along with everyday Americans, there were a few local officials who attended the rally and shared some words. The first speaker was Josh Pearlman, who spoke on behalf of senior New York Senator Chuck Schumer. 'For generations, the United States and Canada have been close friends and staunch allies, boasting a relationship between neighbouring countries that is simply unrivaled anywhere else on the planet,' read Senator Schumer's letter. 'Recent events have strained that friendship, and unsurprisingly, it's already hurting North Country communities.' After Pearlman, Blake Gendebien shared some words over the loudspeaker; he is the congressional candidate for New York's 21st District, an area that covers most of the North Country. Gendebien also emphasized the importance of the relationship between the U.S. and Canada, 'For over 200 years, our relationship has been deeply shaped by geography, trade, security and cross-cultural exchange,' said Gendebien in his speech. 'These are not Democrat or Republican issues, they're local issues that affect everyone.' After the speeches at City Hall, rally-goers marched to Morrisette Park to make the visual connection with the Canadians across the river. On that march, Canadian flags were waved, signs were held high and The Tragically Hip played over the portable speakers. When the attendees made it to the park, they waved at the people of Prescott and sang O Canada. While the 'Elbows Up for Canada' rally wasn't a sanctioned city event, Ogdensburg Mayor Michael Tooley made an appearance at Morrisette Park. 'Despite the frictions at the federal level, we want Canadians to feel welcome coming over to our community,' said Tooley. 'This event has a good message in that we want to make the connection between our two border regions as strong as it was before.' Across the river in Prescott, dozens of people gathered at the waterfront to take in the show of support from the North Country residents. A 'Friendship Flotilla' was also a planned part of the rally, but only a few boats participated, so what was conceived as a flotilla mostly happened on land. This event is part of a wider 'Elbows Up for Canada' movement that saw rallies take place across the US, and even in London, England. ( Catch up on what is happening throughout Eastern Ontario with our Midday Roundup. Click here to sign up for the free newsletter, which will be delivered to your inbox every weekday. )
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Gendebien touts cross-party appeal
PLATTSBURGH — A gravel road is what Blake Gendebien told the crowd to picture. 'If you get into the shoulder on this side, you're going into the ditch; if you get into the shoulder on that side, you're going into the ditch. But if you stay in the center of this narrow road, you get to where you're going,' he explained. That roadway was the one Gendebien, a St. Lawrence County dairy farmer, hoped to ride all the way to Congress, he told the crowd gathered in Plattsburgh's Strand Theater during a Town Hall event Tuesday night. SPECIAL ELECTION POSTPONED In February, Gendebien was named the Democratic Party nominee tapped to run for the 21st Congressional District seat in a special election to be held if North Country Congresswoman Elise Stefanik had been confirmed as President Donald Trump's United Nations ambassador. But Stefanik's nomination for that post was withdrawn on March 27, leaving her as the NY-21 representative for now and seemingly stretching the electoral calendar back to the 2026 midterm elections. But Gendebien said Tuesday night that his campaign was still in the game and would press forward, whether toward the midterms or any other special election that might be called. Defending his chances, Gendebien pointed to the withdrawal of Stefanik's nomination to the UN post as evidence that Republicans feared a GOP candidate would lose the NY-21 special election to him. 'That's proof that we're never wrong to focus on what's right for the North Country,' he said. 'The chairs, who I'm very grateful for, selected a very moderate, pragmatic candidate in myself.' 'A MODERATE LEADER' Along with pledging his support for a range of local causes — from access to healthcare, support of the arts and addressing the housing shortage — Gendebien frequently emphasized his ability as a moderate to draw voters across party lines. 'I'm not going to apologize for being a moderate leader, I'm not going to apologize for wanting to work on things that we can actually get done, and that's the secret to winning rural America back,' he said. To that point, Gendebien repeatedly pointed to positions he held that he argued anyone, regardless of party affiliation, should back him for. 'Since when is taking care of our seniors, taking care of our veterans, supporting small business, solving immigration and making sure that everyone can afford to put a meal on their table a divisive issue?' SACKETS HARBOR INCIDENT When asked how he could expand the accommodating model for migrant workers at Peru apple orchards to fit farms across the district, Gendebien pointed to the need for the creation of a longer-term variant to the H-2A visa for agricultural workers who work with livestock. 'Livestock needs a program where someone could work for years, because by the time four to six months goes by, they basically just learn how to work around a dairy cow. It's not that simple, you know?' Gendebien also called the recent detainment by immigration officers of a mother and children from a Sackets Harbor farm 'inexcusable.' Gendebien said he knew the farm and that he'd been told that the sight of the children being dragged to the ground and handcuffed had deeply shaken the farmer. 'It was traumatic, not just for the kids, but it was traumatic for everybody on that farm,' Gendebien said. The Watertown Daily Times reported Monday that the mother and children had been released and were returning home to the community. CROSS-PARTY APPEAL At the same time, Gendebien pointed to that incident in arguing how anyone appalled by that scene — regardless of party — should back his campaign. 'We are not going to make anybody feel bad for previously voting for Trump. When they see those things, they need a new home, and that new home is going to be right here with this campaign,' he said. In threading that needle, Gendebien also spoke of his support for border and immigration agencies. 'Secure the border? Yes, I think we need to do it by adding judges, by making sure that Border Patrol and ICE have the resources they need. They aren't the enemy. These guys are just trying to do their job,' he said. 'My son went to prom with the daughter of an ICE agent.' IMMIGRATION AND INDUSTRY At the same time, Gendebien spoke of the necessity of immigrant labor in American industry and agriculture. Citing 'The Economic Impacts of Immigrant Labor on U.S. Dairy Farms', a 2015 study by Texas A&M, Gendebien noted how the report found: • Immigrant labor accounted for 51 percent of all dairy labor • Dairies that employ immigrant labor produced 79 percent of the U.S. milk supply. Then, speaking from his personal experience as vice chairman of Agri-Mark, Inc, Gendebien explained how the firm struggled to find enough workers for its cheese plant in Cabot, Vt., leading the company to ask Wal-Mart to raise costs on their products to compensate. 'That means everybody in this room paid more for cheese just because there wasn't the labor to package it,' he said. 'We can drive down costs by solving immigration, and let's take that seriously.' PUSHBACK ON 'MODERATE' Still, Gendebien's 'moderate' label and appeal to disaffected Trump voters drew concerns from some in attendance. Martha Swan of Westport, while noting she didn't question Gendebien's values, asked what he meant by his moderate, centrist title. 'Over the last 20, 30-plus years, we have seen the Democratic center move more and more to the right,' Swan said. 'So I don't know what is meant by center.' In response, Gendebien noted how 'you might be feeling like, geez, if he's in the middle, he could jump over to the other side. and I don't want you to feel that way.' To that point, a younger attendee at the event raised concerns over Gendebien's commitment to LGBTQ rights, explaining how 'when people in the LGBTQ community hear Democrats say they're going to go down the middle of the road, sometimes they think, 'Oh, I'm on the chopping block.'' The attendee urged Gendebien to attend local Pride events and show his support for that community, drawing a round of applause from the Town Hall crowd for his comments. Gendebien reaffirmed that his moderate stance did not mean he was not supportive of the LGBTQ community. 'One of the main reasons I'm here is because I don't like bullies. I will stand with anybody—LGBTQ, marginalized, anyone else that feels underrepresented or treated poorly,' he said. YOUNGER VOTERS Asked how he would appeal to those younger voters whom statistics show have leaned farther right politically in recent years, Gendebien noted a two-fold plan to meet those young voters where they're at: campaigning heavily at college campuses and appearing on podcasts. But attendee Terry Powers Phaneuf spoke up after that answer to question firmly if that was enough: 'Don't you think it's more than that, though,' she asked. 'I mean, the young men are looking for someone with charisma to make something untrue attractive.' Gendebien doubled-down on his plan and said he hoped to share with younger voters 'a normal point of view, a normal perspective, and engage and talk and have those conversations. That's the only place you can start.' As the night wound down, Gendebien reminded the crowd that he wasn't running to be 'a super genius of the universe,' but a representative who listens, learns, and lives in the district he hopes to serve. 'This is not a vanity project,' he said. 'This is for you. This is for my friends and neighbors. This is for the North Country and making this a better place to live.'
Yahoo
30-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Race for New York-21 District takes on new look
PLATTSBURGH — For Democrat Blake Gendebien, the race for Congress just turned from a sprint to a marathon, with the potential hurdle of a Democratic primary to clear. Gendebien had said in February, a few days after he was selected as the Democratic candidate in the expected 21st Congressional District election, 'We're crunching a two-year campaign into what, I hope, is 90 days. We are rocking and rolling and plowing the field just as fast as we can.' Now, it appears there will be no special election, after all. President Trump on Thursday withdrew the nomination of U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-Schuylerville) to become U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations, citing a need to protect the slim GOP margin in the House. Stefanik agreed to remain in the House and push to advance President Trump's agenda. 'This is about stepping up as a team, and I am doing that as a leader,' Stefanik said on the Fox News program 'Hannity' on Thursday evening. Gendebien, a farmer from Lisbon, in St. Lawrence County, said in a statement Thursday that he will continue as a candidate for the 2026 regular election. However, it appears that at least one Democrat, and possibly others, will run against him in a primary. 'I have a campaign committee for 2026, and I am seriously considering it,' said Dylan Hewitt of South Glens Falls, a former White House trade adviser, in a telephone interview on Friday. Hewitt was one of four finalists in the Democratic special election candidate selection process. Another finalist, Paula Collins, a lawyer from Canton, said Friday she is 'technically' registered with the Federal Election Commission as a 2026 candidate, but right now she is busy advising clients on tax matters. 'Between now and April 15, I won't have time to be making any major decisions in my life,' she said, in a telephone interview. Collins, who lost to Stefanik in the 2024 congressional race, said she would not be surprised if other Democrats who had explored the special election decide to run in 2026. 'I am loyal to the party, so I would not do something that would disrupt unity,' she said. GENDEBIEN SUPPORT Warren County Democratic Chairwoman Lynne Boecher said Friday that the party will hold an open endorsement process in 2026, but she believes Gendebien has demonstrated his strength as a candidate. 'At this point, I, personally would support his candidacy if he were to enter a primary,' she said. Boecher said that in a short time Gendebien had raised more than $3 million for his campaign and had held public events in each of the 15 counties in the 21st District. It won't be known until first quarter campaign finance reports are released by April 15 how much Gendebien had spent on his special election campaign. He had hired a campaign manager and had recently hired a campaign spokeswoman, and had placed some digital advertising. Gendebien's campaign had spent $14,349, as of Dec. 31, the most recent campaign finance report filed with the Federal Election Commission. Stefanik is well-positioned financially if she seeks re-election to the House in 2026, with $8.74 million left in her campaign fund, as of Dec. 31. GOP HOPEFULS For most potential Republican candidates in the special election, the cost of the campaign was limited to their time and personal costs for traveling the district. Anthony Constantino, a businessman from Amsterdam, was the only potential Republican candidate that had established a campaign account, having personally loaned his campaign $2.6 million. Constantino had spent $203,349 on his campaign, as of Dec. 31. After the first of the year, he rented the Cool Insuring Arena in Glens Falls for a campaign rally/mixed-martial arts competition, opened a campaign headquarters and spent money on polling, campaign consultants and digital advertising. In a live-streamed town hall meeting on Thursday evening, Constantino hinted that he might now challenge Rep. Paul Tonko (D-Amsterdam) in the 20th Congressional District in 2026, or perhaps might even consider running for governor. Boecher, the Warren County Democratic chairwoman, said Friday she suspects Stefanik's U.N. nomination was pulled, in part, because of concern that Democrats might win the special election. She said the diverse audience of more than 300 people that attended a recent Gendebien town hall meeting in Hudson Falls verifies that hypothesis. 'It was local enough for me to see the number of Republicans in the crowd to see what they could see,' she said. Stefanik and other Republicans have said that Trump's decision was not a matter of fear about losing the special election, but concern that the seat could be vacant for months if Gov. Kathy Hochul revives proposed legislation to hold special Congressional elections the same day as the November general election. A GrayHouse poll, previously reported about on Politico, conducted March 22-24 of 400 likely voters, found a generic Republican leading Gendebien by 17-percentage-points – 52-25%, which would leave 23% undecided. The poll included responses from 177 Republicans, 112 Independents, 103 Democrats and 8 members of other political parties, according to a polling member. Constantino, however, had threated to run as an independent if Republicans selected state Sen. Dan Stec (R-Queensbury) as the nominee, which potentially could have siphoned off at least some Republican votes.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Republicans narrowing list for NY21 candidate
PLATTSBURGH — Republican chairs in the 21st Congressional District have narrowed the list of potential nominees in the upcoming special election from 21 interested candidates to 11 finalists. The 15 county chairs in the district could be ready to select a nominee in about two weeks, said Warren County Republican Chairman Tim McNulty. Resumes of the 11 finalists have been sent to the White House for vetting, he said, and county chairs expect to have reports back from the vetting process within a week or two. FINALISTS Clinton County Republican Chairwoman Jerika Manning identified the finalists, listed in alphabetical order by last name and not any specific ranking, as follows: Anthony Constantino, a businessman from Amsterdam; Matt Doheny, a businessman from Jefferson County who was the local Republican congressional candidate in 2012 and 2014; Liz Lemery Joy, a conservative writer and speaker from Schenectady who was the Republican candidate in the 20th Congressional District in 2020 and 2022; Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin; Joshua Parker of St. Lawrence County; Joe Pinion, a television news commentator who was the GOP candidate for U.S. Senate in New York in 2022; Charles Potter; Joseph Rutkowski, a construction company owner from Rome; state Assemblyman Robert Smullen (R-Mohawk); state Sen. Dan Stec (R-Queensbury); Assemblyman Chris Tague (R-Schoharie). Manning said several of the finalists have slowed down their activity in recent days and may no longer be seeking the nomination for the seat that will be vacant when U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-Schuylerville) resigns to become U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Unlike a regular election, there are no primaries in a special election. SELECT County party chairs in the district select their respective nominees. The Republican selection will be made by a weighted voting process, in which Clinton County holds 8.54% of the weighted vote, Franklin County 4.95% and Essex County 4.52%. Democratic chairs in the 21st District on Feb. 4 announced the selection of Blake Gendebien, a farmer from Lisbon in St. Lawrence County, as the party's nominee. Since the announcement, Gendebien had made public appearances in at least seven of 15 counties, and received early labor endorsements from Teamsters Joint Council 18, Teamsters Local No. 687, and International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 910. Gendebien had raised more than $1.8 million for his campaign, as of Feb. 26, according to his campaign manager. The special election will be held within 90 days of when Stefanik resigns. It is unclear when Stefanik might resign. House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) has said that a Senate vote on Stefanik's confirmation had been delayed because her vote was needed on House budget bills, The New York Times reported on Feb. 24. Political experts following the election have said Stefanik's confirmation and resignation will not likely occur until after two special congressional elections in Florida are held on April 1. PLANS Manning, the Clinton County Republican chairwoman, said that, at this point, the plan is still to select a nominee after Stefanik resigns. McNulty, the Warren County Republican chairman, said that plan may change. 'It is a group decision,' he said. 'As far as I am concerned, we need to get our candidate decided on and out there as soon as possible.' Rutkowski, the finalist from Rome, said in a Feb. 27 radio interview with Glenn Curry on AM 1240 Watertown that, if nominated, he will personally contribute at least $1 million to his campaign. Constantino, the businessman from Amsterdam, opened a campaign volunteer center in Amsterdam on Feb. 27, and he has begun radio advertising. Constantino, who personally loaned his campaign $2.6 million in November, has said that if does not receive the GOP nomination for the special election he will continue campaigning for a Republican primary in 2026.
