PLATTSBURGH — Robert Smullen, one of two Republicans so far to announce their candidacy for the NY-21 election next year, made a stop in Plattsburgh last week.
“There are 15 counties in the district, so I’m doing a swing across all of the northern areas before Christmas to make sure that I get my name into the forefront of people’s minds before Christmas Day,” Smullen said during a visit to McSweeney’s Red Hots on Route 3.
“We’ve had over 55 endorsements since the start of the campaign. We raised over $500,000, and that’s really good news because it shows the support is building around the entire district.”
Smullen, of Gloversville in Fulton County, is running on a platform of lowering taxes, defending freedoms, rebuilding the economy and always putting Upstate first.
Smullen, the assemblyman for New York’s 118th district since 2018, announced his candidacy for the congressional seat in November after current Republican Representative Elise Stefanik said she would be running for governor instead.
Stefanik has since dropped out of the governor’s race and will not seek another term in Congress, she announced Friday.
EXPECTED PRIMARIES
Smullen and Amsterdam Republican Anthony Constantino are the only two Republicans vying for the NY-21 seat so far.
On the Democratic side, it’s slightly more crowded with Blake Gendebien, Dylan Hewitt, Stuart Amoriell and Maylon Haller stepping forward to run so far.
If this stands, primary elections are expected for both major parties next June, and Smullen is confident he can win.
“I’m the only Trump-appointed Conservative in the race, and I’ve got the best record. I’ve been not only in the State Assembly, but I’ve served in the Marine Corps for 24 years — three combat tours in Afghanistan,” he said.
“I’m happy to put my record up against anyone and run to win.”
As an assemblymember, Smullen said he served as chairman of the Republican Conference, co-chair of the Assembly Sportsmen’s Caucus and authored the Assembly Republican Rural Initiative, a “blueprint to strengthen New York’s rural communities.”
Smullen was also elected by his peers as chairman of the Assembly Republican Review Committee and is a national board member of the American Legislative Exchange Council.
When he announced, Smullen acknowledged it was “certainly always possible” he would have a primary challenger for the open seat next year. However, a primary would be a change of pace for him.
During his four terms in the assembly, Smullen said he has faced a challenger in just one race — his first in 2018 in the primary and then in the general election. Since then, he has been unopposed in each race.
He said this must mean he is doing “something right” among Republican, Democratic and Independent voters and expects that to continue, should he get elected to Congress.
“My goal is to represent all of the people in the 21st Congressional District,” Smullen said. “I’ve got a great track record of doing that in the 118th Assembly District.”
He said his time in the Marine Corps also helped his ability to work across the aisle when necessary.
“I think that the military is the number one institution of national unity in the United States,” he said. “People come from all over the country. They join the Army, the Navy, the Air Force, the Marine Corps, the Space Force, the Coast Guard, and then they serve the Constitution of the United States against all enemies: foreign and domestic. They swear an oath to the Constitution, but the mission brings them all together, and they work to take that common mission and make it happen.
“That’s the same sort of servant leadership attitude that I want to bring to Congress. What I’ve done in the assembly is to be a servant leader for the people, to do what’s very best for them.”
Smullen said he planned on visiting local businesses, residents and other Republicans during his stop in Plattsburgh last Friday.
“I’m very glad to be out here today (Dec. 19) and in Plattsburgh, being able to ask for and earn people’s endorsements and their votes in this race,” he said. “It’s a great thing. It’s Democracy in America.”