Republican congressional candidate Anthony Constantino, who self-funded his primary election campaign, said supporters are asking to contribute to his general election campaign.
But he is still deciding whether to accept them.
“We’re arguing about that one,” Constantino quipped in an interview as he was lining up for the July 4 parade at Ticonderoga on Saturday.
Turning serious, he said it is a tough decision.
Campaigns are expensive, and he doesn’t want to offend supporters who want to help out, he explained as factors in favor of accepting contributions.
He did not state a time frame for deciding.
Constantino, who defeated Assemblymember Robert Smullen (R-Johnstown) in the June 23 Republican primary, totally self-funded his primary race and did not accept contributions.
He had personally loaned his campaign $10 million, as of June 3, with $3.12 million in his campaign fund.
He has repeatedly said refusing campaign contributions showed voters he would not be influenced by special interests.
But Smullen and Democratic candidate Blake Gendebien have accused Constantino of “trying to buy an election.”
In the primary, Constantino easily out-out spent Smullen, whose fundraising never really took off.
Smullen had personally loaned his campaign $1 million and had received $300,134 in campaign contributions, as of June 3.
Unlike Smullen, Gendebien has had strong grassroots fundraising, receiving contributions from individual donors in nearly every state.
He had raised $5.01 million, as of June 3, and had $2.28 million in his campaign fund.
In the interview Saturday, Constantino said the biggest lesson he learned in the campaign was to not be swayed by others.
“I think someone else said listen to my instincts,” he said.
Constantino confirmed that he recently hired Alex DeGrasse, long-time senior adviser to Stefanik, as a campaign consultant.
He said DeGrasse is providing general strategy consulting.
“He’s an adviser. You want to work with people who have experience,” Constantino said.
Constantino, an Amsterdam businessman who lives in Edinburg in Saratoga County, and Gendebien, a farmer from Lisbon in St. Lawrence County, are running for the 21st Congressional District seat that is open because six-term Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-Schuylerville) is not seeking reelection.
Independent Christopher Schmidt, a day laborer from Hudson Falls, is running a write-in campaign.