New York Assemblyman Robert Smullen will not continue his campaign for New York’s 21st Congressional District on the Conservative Party line following a meeting at the White House, ending any such potential challenge to Republican nominee Anthony Constantino from the political right.
WNYT first reported on July 3 that Smullen officially dropped plans for a Conservative Party bid after meeting with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office, where Smullen said the two discussed the importance of uniting Republicans and Conservatives ahead of the midterm elections. He also told the outlet he would find “an alternative path” to continue in public service.
New York held its state primary on June 23, with Constantino handily defeating Smullen for the Republican nomination in the 21st Congressional District. Unofficial results from the State Board of Elections show he captured 58.5 percent to Smullen’s 39.8 percent. At the same time, on the Democratic side, Blake Gendebien defeated Stuart Amoriell.
Though he lost the Republican nomination, Smullen was still expected to appear on the general election ballot thanks to the support of the Conservative Party of New York State, which originally endorsed his campaign in February. The party frequently takes advantage of New York’s fusion voting system, allowing it to both nominate its own candidates and cross-endorse those from other parties.
In a statement published February 10, the party openly called Smullen its presumptive choice and praised his record as a conservative lawmaker. It said that, although its interview process was still underway at the time, a majority of state Conservative Party leaders within the district had already weighed in on the race and identified Smullen as their choice. Smullen later received the party’s ballot line.
Notably, Constantino’s later victory in the GOP primary came in part with Trump’s support, creating a situation in which the Conservative Party’s earlier pick in Smullen was at odds with a candidate ultimately endorsed by the president, whom the state party has vocally and consistently supported over the years.
The Conservative Party of New York State could also still name another candidate to replace Smullen, however, state party Chair Gerard Kassar later told The New York Times that the line will “very likely remain blank.”
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