New York State GOP Endorses Trump-Appointee Robert Smullen for NY-21

NY GOP picks a side in Stefanik successor race

By NICK REISMAN (POLITICO New York) | 03/18/2026 06:00 AM EDT

The New York GOP is taking the rare step of declaring a favorite in a contentious House primary, backing Assemblymember Robert Smullen to succeed retiring Rep. Elise Stefanik.

The nod from the state Republican committee and its chair, Ed Cox, solidifies Smullen as the clear establishment favorite over his upstart rival, Anthony Constantino.

And the endorsement sets up a high-stakes battle between a staid lawmaker with a long resume in public life and the military against a colorful sticker entrepreneur who memorably erected a large sign supporting President Donald Trump.

“I’m honored to receive the endorsement of the New York State Republican Party,” Smullen said in a statement to Playbook. “As the only Trump-appointed candidate in this race, I’m proud to have earned the trust and support of leaders from across NY-21, including the Conservative Party of New York, who are united around a shared mission — bringing strong, conservative leadership back to Washington.”

Republicans do not relish the possibility of an intraparty feud in this sprawling and mostly rural House district that stretches from the outskirts of the Capital Region to the Canadian border.

Searing memories persist in the region of the 2009 battle between Republican candidate Dede Scozzafava and Conservative Party favorite Doug Hoffman, which ultimately led to Democrat Bill Owens’ victory in the deep red district.

But Constantino has been a source of agita for some institutional party officials dating back to last year, when Stefanik was initially expected to resign to become Trump’s United Nations ambassador.

A messy process to replace her, in which Constantino was one of the hopefuls, devolved into a dispute still playing out in court.

State Conservative Chair Gerard Kassar is suing him for defamation, after Constantino claimed the party leader threatened to kill him. Kassar, who has also endorsed Smullen, denied making a death threat. Constantino has denied any wrongdoing.

Yet he’s brought a Trumpian flare to the race — a sharp contrast with Smullen, a studious state lawmaker and retired Marine colonel.

Constantino has referred to Kassar as “Fat Jerry” and derided another would-be rival, Republican Liz Joy, for having a “LOSER” mentality.

Stefanik, who dropped her bid for governor last year, is vacating a House seat she’s held comfortably for the last decade.

During that time in office, she has become a staunch Trump supporter and defended him during his first impeachment.

Yet Stefanik didn’t immediately embrace the MAGA movement — she was largely drafted into it after coming up as a protégé of wonkish former House Speaker Paul Ryan.

The race to replace her will test whether a Republican like Smullen with his institutional ties can defeat an unconventional candidate like Constantino — running free of formal party backing, but making an appeal directly to voters.

A Democratic victory in the district, which Trump easily won three times, would be unthinkable for Republicans, even in a tough election cycle. But a messy GOP fight stands to potentially make the job of holding the seat all the harder. — Nick Reisman