NY-21: Democrat Blake Gendebien banks on a moderate approach to flip the district – NCPR: North Country Public Radio
Oct 27, 2026 —
Dozens of people packed into Heartwood Hall in Potsdam in early October, filling up old church pews as a live band strummed on stage.
The crowd was gathered to hear from three Democrats, including Blake Gendebien, who is running to represent New York’s 21st Congressional District.
Gendebien introduced himself to the room of voters. “Who wants to help me bring back the balance of power to the House of Representatives?” Gendebien said to a round of applause.
The Democrat and dairy farmer from the St. Lawrence County town of Lisbon is running against Republican Anthony Constantino, the CEO of a sticker company based in Amsterdam, just outside of the 21st district.
The two candidates have taken a drastically different approach to the campaign, with Constantino frequently launching attack ads and posting allegations against his opponent on social media. Gendebien, meanwhile, has mostly stayed out of the fight, focusing on folksy meet-and-greet events and trying to appeal to a broad swath of voters in the middle.
Gendebien’s campaign for Congress began nearly two years ago, when Democrats rallied behind him for a special election that never happened.
Rep. Elise Stefanik, who has represented the North Country since 2015, had hoped to serve as the Ambassador to the United Nations before President Donald Trump withdrew her nomination. She launched a short-lived bid for Governor before dropping out of that race and announcing her retirement at the end of this term.
When he’s not on his farm in Lisbon, Gendebien has been crisscrossing the district over the last few months. He’s held events in Boonville, Johnsburg, Akwesasne, and Glens Falls, where Catherine Atherden met Gendebien.
Atherden leads the North Country Light Brigade, which holds regular rallies in the Glens Falls area for Democratic candidates like Gendebien.
“He’s just been everywhere,” said Atherden. “He’s gone to the Washington County Fair, he’s been here a couple of times, he came here with Jamie Raskin one time, so we’re just pleased as punch to have somebody listen to us.”
Along with campaign events, Gendebien has also held roundtable discussions to learn more about healthcare, disability rights, and most recently, about energy policy.
Travis Flint was part of the energy roundtable in Plattsburgh. He’s from IBEW, the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers. The North Country chapter of IBEW has endorsed Gendebien for Congress.
Flint feels like Gendebien really understands and respects union workers.
“He comes and talks to us, asks us questions about policy and how it would affect us, and seems to really listen,” said Flint. “He remembers what we’ve talked about when you see him later, so he seems like just such a down-to-earth guy.”
Along with the IBEW endorsement, Gendebien has also been endorsed by the New York State United Teachers, the New York State Nurses Association, and NY’s Public Employees Federation.
His opponent, Republican Anthony Constantino, has been endorsed by the NRA, New York State Rifle & Pistol Association, New York State Right to Life, the National Federation of Independent Business, as well as President Donald Trump.
Constantino has taken an aggressive approach to the campaign, launching attack ads and lobbing allegations against Gendbien. For the most part, Gendbien has stayed out of the fight. But he’s faced some criticisms from the left, like after an ad ran earlier this summer on TV.
“I served on the school board and coached JV basketball. Keeping kids safe was my job and I’ve always been clear- boys shouldn’t play on girls’ sports teams,” Gendebien says in the ad.
“The thing is, in 20 years raising a family here, I haven’t heard this issue come up, not once, but internet trolls like Anthony Constantino use it to rile people up.”
Despite how Gendebien framed the issue, the ad sparked outrage from some voters, like Seanna Petrichor from Potsdam.
“To me that is a piece of anti-trans dog whistle that has no place up here in District 21,” said Petrichor.
It’s unclear how many voters were turned off by Gendebien’s ad and how much the issue matters to people in this election. In a survey NCPR conducted a few months ago of more than 400 people, the top concerns respondents shared were healthcare and affordability.
On the issue of trans rights, Gendebien said in a statement he supports the LGBTQ community, but also has “genuine concerns about fairness and safety in competition.”
Gendebien has taken a moderate approach to many issues, like gun rights, climate change, and immigration.
He supports securing the border and deporting criminals, but Gendebien also wants more immigration judges and a legal path for an immigrant workforce.
Gendebien has also criticized New York’s climate policies, saying they’ve gone too far and cost New Yorkers too much. He summarized his overall political stance at a recent event at the VFW in Saranac Lake.
“I am interested in staying in the middle. I am a conservative, free-market capitalist Democrat and I am very proud of that,” said Gendebien.
Dozens of people were at the event in early October. The VFW said it also invited Constantino, but never heard back.
Many folks in the crowd said they supported Gendebien; some had already cast their ballots for him. Steve Erman stood up and thanked Gendebien for the campaign he’s run and the issues he’s talked about.
“I am very appreciative of your interest in veterans affairs and your focus on issues rather than all of the crap that Anthony Constantino just seems to be focused on,” said Erman.
One criticism Gendebien did face from a few people in Saranac Lake was his decision not to debate Constantino. Gendebien told the crowd that he was open to a debate back in September, but by October said he was too busy meeting voters around the district.
Phil Newton urged him to reconsider. He said Gendebien should have made time to debate and criticized him for not facing off against Constantino.
“I don’t think it’s a smart move politically, but it’s also not a good move, frankly ethically, because the voters deserve that,” said Newton.
Ultimately, Constantino scheduled a debate with CBS Channel 6, where he was asked about trade policies, rural healthcare, high energy costs, and the Iran war. Constantino criticized Gendebien for not showing up.
“My opponent doesn’t want to be here, which is why he doesn’t want to run for this position, which is why he’s not here debating today,” said Constantino.
Maggie Bartley, chair of the Essex County Democratic Committee, said in early October she thought it was the right move for Gendebien not to debate Constantino.
“I just think we’re close enough to the finish line that Blake is doing the right thing by talking to the people and visiting people, meeting with people, rather than having some kind of food fight,” said Bartley.
The odds are stacked against Gendebien in this election, since there are about 80,000 more Republicans in the district than there are Democrats, but some polls and political ratings have been increasingly more favorable to Gendebien.
Cook Political Report shifted the district twice in recent months, from solidly Republican, to likely Republican, and now to leaning Republican.
In early October, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee took note of Gendebien’s increasing odds and began offering him fundraising and organizational support. Bartley said that was another signal that Gendebien has a shot next Tuesday.
“The fact that [the DCCC] is coming in, I think, says they see real possibility here and I’m excited. We’re all excited, all of us Democrats and many other people are excited, too,” said Bartley.
Gendebien will need that excitement to translate to votes on Election Day.
Back in June, just 11% of Democrats cast ballots in the primaries, compared to about 20% of Republicans. Gendebien will need to boost turnout and appeal to enough independent voters and Republicans to flip the district on Tuesday.
