Blue state CEO who put up 100 ft. pro-Trump signal to spend $2.6 million on marketing campaign for Congress

FIRST ON FOX: Sticker Mule CEO Anthony Constantino has formally tossed his hat within the ring to fill the emptiness left by New York Rep. Elise Stefanik’s appointment to serve within the Trump administration.

The professional-Trump businessman, who put in a 100-ft. “Vote for Trump” register upstate New York earlier than the election, tells Fox Information Digital he’ll spend $2.6 million to self-fund his bid to succeed Stefanik as soon as she turns into the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations in January.

“My telephones are ringing off the hook with folks encouraging me to run, who wished me to run,” Constantino, 40, mentioned in an interview. “And identical to President Trump was an outsider who introduced a fantastic talent set to politics, a fantastic talent set to authorities, I feel the nation wants extra folks with comparable backgrounds which are outsiders, which are gifted folks. And I occur to be one in every of them.” 

Stefanik at the moment represents New York’s twenty first Congressional District, which encompasses the solidly Republican North Nation, a big swath of upstate New York that features a lot of the Adirondack Mountains and Thousand Islands areas. She is predicted to resign from Congress after President-elect Trump tapped her to symbolize the USA on the U.N.

PRO-TRUMP TECH CEO MULLING CONGRESSIONAL RUN TO FILL STEFANIK’S SEAT IDENTIFIES NEW YORK’S ‘BIGGEST PROBLEM’

Sticker Mule CEO Anthony Constantino speaks at an occasion in New York.  (Paul Antonelli)

“I’m honored to appoint Chairwoman Elise Stefanik to serve in my Cupboard as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Elise is an extremely robust, powerful, and sensible America First fighter,” Trump mentioned. 

Stefanik gladly accepted the nomination, stating, “I’m actually honored to earn President Trump’s nomination to serve in his Cupboard as U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations. Throughout my dialog with President Trump, I shared how deeply humbled I’m to just accept his nomination and that I sit up for incomes the assist of my colleagues in the USA Senate. President Trump’s historic landslide election has given hope to the American folks and is a reminder that brighter days are forward — each at house and overseas.” 

Her appointment units the stage for a particular election to fill her seat within the twenty first congressional district following her profitable re-election bid final week. Stefanik secured victory by greater than 24% of the vote in opposition to her opponent, Paula Collins. 

Constantino filed paperwork with the Federal Elections Fee on Thursday to arrange his marketing campaign committee. Previously a registered Democrat, he’s now one in every of a number of Republicans anticipated to contend for the GOP nomination, a gaggle that would embrace established state lawmakers, native officers and different skilled politicians. What makes him stand out, in his view, is that he had no intention of getting into politics till about three months in the past. 

TECH CEO WHO WENT VIRAL FOR PRO-TRUMP EMAIL DEFENDS CALL TO ACTION OVER ‘POLITICAL HATE’

The illuminated “Vote for Trump” signal at 26 Elk Avenue, Amsterdam, New York.  (@stickermule | Instagram)

“The most effective factor about my state of affairs is till lately, I had no political ambitions, which I feel makes me a greater candidate,” he mentioned. “I simply bought concerned as a result of a bullet hit President Trump, and instantly I spoke up, and I despatched out a message to 5 million prospects that was a massively viral message.”

A would-be murderer’s bullet struck Trump in the appropriate ear throughout a marketing campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania, on July 13. The gunfire injured two others within the crowd and killed a 3rd, volunteer firefighter Corey Comperatore. 

Constantino says he was impressed by that horrific act of violence to take a stand in opposition to “anti-Trump hate” and search to unify the nation. He labored “across the clock” to assist Trump’s White Home marketing campaign, shaped a political motion committee and defeated native Democratic officers who had sued to take away his $125,000 pro-Trump signal on the repurposed Fownes glove manufacturing unit constructing in Amsterdam.

“President Trump has actually executed nice issues. He is a fantastic human. He is executed nice issues for the world. And he does not deserve all of the hate directed at him, and his supporters do not deserve it both,” Constantino beforehand informed Fox Information Digital. 

BLUE STATE CEO SUED OVER PRO-TRUMP SIGN NETS ‘EPIC WIN FOR FREE SPEECH’

Sticker Mule CEO Anthony Constantino speaks at an occasion unveiling his 100-ft. huge “Vote for Trump” register Amsterdam, New York (Paul Antonelli)

Now that Trump has received in a historic victory, Constantino believes the anti-Trump fervor that consumed half of the nation earlier than the election is dying down. And with a want to “do massive issues” and make an affect, he’s eyeing a seat in Congress. 

“I wish to be impactful. I love to do massive issues. And proper now, that is most likely the most important, most impactful factor I can do with my life,” he mentioned. 

If elected, Constantino mentioned his priorities can be to assist companies and assist make New York a happier place to stay.

“The most important downside in New York is persons are leaving, and we have got to deliver power and enthusiasm again to New York. And we have got to point out America that New York is protected for folks from all events, Democrats and Republicans alike,” he mentioned. 

There is not going to be a conventional Republican major for the particular election. As an alternative, each the GOP and Democratic nominees might be chosen by occasion chairs within the district. It is a course of that would benefit political insiders – different candidates floated for the place embrace ousted Rep. Marc Molinaro, Rensselaer County Government Steve McLaughlin, state Sens. Dan Stec and Jake Ashby and Meeting Members Chris Tague and Robert Smullen, based on Metropolis & State New York. 

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

However Constantino enters the fray as a rich self-made man and favourite of the web MAGA motion due to his viral pro-Trump signal. He plans to fulfill with the GOP chairs in his district to debate how he can fund his candidacy with out counting on occasion assets. He additionally hopes to earn Stefanik’s assist as she is prone to play kingmaker in the case of her successor. 

“I’ll be funding my very own marketing campaign. I do not need to be a drain on the occasion,” Constantino informed Fox Information Digital. “I would like folks to know that I will not be beholden to any particular pursuits. I am doing this for the appropriate causes. I’ll all the time do what I feel is correct, what I feel is ethically proper, morally proper and what’s finest for folks.” 

Fox Information Digital’s Bailee Hill contributed to this report.