Congressional candidate Anthony Constantino has seemingly left no stone unturned in his quest to get his name and message out in advance of the Republican primary in the 21st Congressional District.
Constantino, who is self-funding without any outside campaign contributions, spent $2.8 million on his campaign from April 1 to June 3, nearly five times as much as the $561,618 his primary opponent, Robert Smullen, spent, according to campaign finance reports filed with the Federal Election Commission.
Constantino’s spending included $1.1 million on TV, $116, 919 on radio and $14,516 on digital advertising. He spent $70,000 on advertising on Hulu, $49,849 on Facebook, $106,106 on Google, and $2,057 on direct mail.
He spent $106,106 on newspaper advertising, including $25,000 in The New York Post, $5,000 in The Jewish Voice of New York City and $2,800 in the Press-Republican.
Constantino also spent $59,422 on billboard advertising, $1,000 on advertising at the Fonda Speedway and $10,000 on advertising with car racer Kyle Dingman.
Smullen’s spending included $340,706 on TV advertising, $11,324 on media production and $12,507 on digital advertising. He spent $300 advertising with the Press-Republican.
Separate from Smullen’s campaign, the American Warrior political action committee has sent out at least two recent direct pieces criticizing Constantino.
Constantino, an Amsterdam businessman who lives in Edinburg in Saratoga County, and Smullen, a state assemblymember from Johnstown, are running in a June 23 primary for the Republican nomination for the seat that is open because six-term Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-Schuylerville) is not seeking reelection.
Constantino personally loaned his campaign an additional $2.4 million, bringing his total self- funding so far to $10 million.
Smullen received $122,624 in contributions between April 1 and June 3, including $5,000 from the Republican Governance Group, formerly known as The Tuesday Group, and $5,000 from the Republican Main Street Partnership, two political action committees that support moderate Republican candidates.
He received individual itemized contributions from seven states and the District of Columbia.
Smullen received contributions from current or former New York House members or their political action committees, including Nicole Malliotakis, $5,000; John Faso, $1,000; Andrew Garbarino, $2,500; Nick LaLota, $2,500; Claudia Tenney, $2,500; and Tom Reynolds, $1,000. The political action committee of former Rep. Charlie Dent (R-Pennsylvania) contributed $1,000.
The National Automobile Dealer’s Association and National Propane Gas Association contributed $5,000 each.
The CPL NYS political action committee and Associated General Contractors contributed $1,000 each.
Six local Conservative committees in Suffolk County contributed $1,000 each.
Smullen already has the Conservative nomination and will be on the November general election ballot regardless of the outcome of the Republican primary. Constantino has an Independent line on the ballot regardless of the outcome of the primary.
DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATES
Among Democratic candidates, Blake Gendebien spent $536,674 on his campaign from April 1 to June 3, including $61,223 for digital advertisement and consulting, $40,500 for direct mail, $16,000 text messages, and $25,025 for printing.
Gendebien received $354,879 in contributions during the period, including $100 he personally contributed to his campaign.
He continued to draw from a national base comprised largely of small-dollar donors, receiving individual contributions from 37 states and the District of Columbia.
Large-dollar individual donors included Wendy Rockefeller, a philanthropist and environmental activist from New York City, who contributed $7,000, the maximum allowable contribution.
The political action committee of former Sen. Al Franken (D-Minnesota) contributed $5,000, and the political action committee of Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-Maryland) an additional $1,000, bringing the PAC’s total contribution in the election cycle to $3,800.
International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 43 contributed $1,000, and the union’s national organization contributed $2,500, bringing its total contributions in the election cycle to $3,500.
Dairy Farmers of America contributed $5,000.
Gendebien and Smullen both spent more than they raised raised during the period.
Gendebien, a farmer from Lisbon in St. Lawrence County, is running in a Democratic primary against Stuart Amoriell, a restaurant owner from Lake Placid, whose campaign was operating in the red.
As of June 3, Amoriell has $7,473 in his campaign fund and $13,644 in unpaid bills.
Amoriell received $26,907 in contributions from April 1 to June 3 and personally loaned his campaign $16,500.
Constantino had $3.12 million in his campaign as of June 3, Smullen $524,978 and Gendebien $2.28 million.
The primary is June 23.
Early voting runs now through June 21.