Trump endorsement tests GOP loyalties in upstate New York House primary

A Republican House primary in upstate New York has become a test of Donald Trump’s influence over a local party organization that has lined up behind another candidate. The Associated Press reported that Anthony Constantino, a political newcomer who runs the printing company Sticker Mule, faces state Assembly Member Robert Smullen in the June 23 GOP primary for New York’s 21st Congressional District.

The winner will compete to succeed Rep. Elise Stefanik, who said late last year that she would suspend her campaign for governor and would not seek another House term, according to AP. The district is favorable to Republicans: AP reported that Stefanik won her last race by 24 points, and that registered Republicans outnumber Democrats there 215,000 to 134,000.

A Trump-aligned outsider

Constantino has built his campaign around visible loyalty to Trump, AP reported. A large “Vote for Trump” sign sits on the roof of Sticker Mule in Amsterdam, New York; Constantino also recorded a hip-hop album called “Thank you President Trump” and gave Trump a bronze statue of himself last year at Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course, according to AP.

Trump has endorsed Constantino, writing that the candidate is backed by “many of the most Highly Respected MAGA Warriors” including Rudy Giuliani and Roger Stone, according to AP. Trump also referred to Constantino’s rooftop sign, writing: “The sign is still there!”

Constantino has attacked Smullen as insufficiently supportive of Trump, AP reported, using the nickname “Slimebob” and calling him a “Trump hater.” In an interview with AP, Constantino criticized party leaders, saying: “The New York GOP is a failing establishment, it’s a losing establishment.”

Constantino told AP that party officials oppose outsiders and compared his situation to Trump’s rise in Republican politics. He said the GOP tried to block Trump because party leaders believed he would change the system.

Smullen leans on military and legislative record

Smullen, a former U.S. Marine Corps colonel, is running with the support of local Republican officials and committees, the state GOP chair and the state Conservative Party, according to AP. The Conservative Party backing gives him a ballot line in the general election even if he loses the Republican primary, AP reported.

Smullen has emphasized his 24 years in the military, including three tours in Afghanistan, and more than seven years in the state Legislature, according to AP. He has also cited his 2018 appointment by Trump to the White House Fellows program and his attendance at both Trump inaugurations.

During a debate, Smullen rejected Constantino’s attacks on his Trump record. “The idea that I have never been a supporter of President Donald Trump is a lie,” Smullen said, according to AP.

Smullen’s campaign has also targeted Constantino, including by pointing to Constantino’s previous registration as a Democrat, AP reported. Constantino said at the debate that he registered that way to vote for a childhood friend seeking office, while describing himself as a “lifelong conservative,” according to AP.

A rural, conservative district

New York’s 21st District covers much of the state’s northern edge, including the Adirondack Mountains, Fort Drum, dairy farms and many small communities, AP reported. Jack McGuire, an associate professor of politics at the State University of New York at Potsdam, told AP that the electorate skews older and white and includes many prison guards, police officers, farmers and religious voters.

Stefanik’s decision opened the seat after a volatile period in her own relationship with Trump, according to AP. AP reported that Trump did not give her full support in the governor’s race and had earlier withdrawn her nomination to serve as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations because of concerns about the narrow Republican majority in the House.

This story draws on original reporting from Fortune.