Two hundred miles north of New York City, a contest of wills between the state Republican Party and President Trump is expected to be settled on Tuesday night.
The conflict centers on a safe Republican House seat in New York’s North Country that has been held by Representative Elise Stefanik since 2015.
State G.O.P. leaders are overwhelmingly backing Robert Smullen, a strait-laced career Marine who is serving in the State Assembly. But his path to victory has been blocked by a local businessman and provocateur, Anthony Constantino.
Mr. Constantino, whose wildly successful novelty printing company Sticker Mule has allowed him to self-fund his campaign, had previously made headlines for the 100-foot-wide, 12-foot-high VOTE FOR TRUMP sign he erected on his company’s building in Amsterdam, N.Y., in 2024.
Mr. Constantino’s antics earned him the endorsement of the president earlier this year, setting up a showdown with local Republican officials eager to avoid any public break with Mr. Trump.
The result is a primary that will test Republican voters’ loyalty.
The race has become increasingly nasty. Mr. Smullen has accused Mr. Constantino of being unfit to hold office, noting his habits of issuing outlandish attacks and posting on social media late into the night. Mr. Constantino has also drawn heat for his hiring of several people with criminal records — and at least one with an open murder case — to his campaign team.
Mr. Constantino denied knowledge of those issues, and highlighted his belief in second chances. Even so, he believes the verdict is in on his opponent, who he says is insufficiently loyal to president Trump.
Mr. Smullen is stressing his own support for the president on all major policy positions.
Ms. Stefanik, also a Trump acolyte who remains popular in the district, has thus far declined to weigh in the race to replace her. She was initially named to the position of U.N. ambassador by Mr. Trump, but he rescinded the offer, citing concerns about control of Congress if she vacated her seat.
Ms. Stefanik later toyed with a run for governor against Kathy Hochul, but abandoned her bid after the Nassau County executive, Bruce Blakeman, joined the race and it became clear that President Trump would not endorse her.
In addition to the backing of local Republican leaders, Mr. Smullen has the endorsement of the state Conservative Party, as well as its ballot line. The results of the primary will dictate whether one or both men will be on the ballot in November against the Democratic candidate — and whether the Republican vote could be split.
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