The Democratic candidate running for retiring Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik’s upstate congressional seat has publicly refused to say if he’d support or even vote for Gov. Kathy Hochul.
North Country Dem nominee Blake Gendebien snubbed Hochul live on the air last week, refusing to answer a radio host’s question about whether he supported the incumbent governor or Republican challenger Bruce Blakeman.
“What I support is anyone that will help the North Country be absolutely successful,” Gendebien said on the Oct. 8 edition of the Utica-area’s WUTQ’s Talk of the Town.
One of the radio show’s co-hosts even chided Gendebien for dodging on the gubernatorial endorsement and other questions.
“People are saying ‘this guy must be a good dancer because he dances around the questions,’” the co-host said.
Gendebien is facing pro-Trump Republican Anthony Constantino, who won the GOP primary to replace Stefanik. The congresswoman is not seeking reelection.
Gendebien even admitted on an audio recording that Hochul is unpopular in New York’s 21st District, which swings red.
In hidden audio captured from Gendebien’s Sept. 3 “Health Activist Town Hall, Gendebien said,
“She is underwater, she has a negative net-favorability, for whatever reason. I don’t know why that is.” he said during a Sept. 3 “Health Activist Town Hall,” according to a recording.
“She has certainly worked hard to provide funding and opportunities for as many communities as she possibly can,” he added.
Gendebien also took down an ad over the summer saying he would stand up to Hochul and work with Trump, after Hochul’s allies in the Democratic Party said they would remove him from the coordinated support for downballot candidates.
A Siena University/Times Union/WPTZ-NBC5 / WAMC poll released last week found Gendebien leading Constantino 46% to 42% among likely voters with independent Christopher Schmidt getting 5%.
The same survey revealed that 60% of voters had an unfavorable view of Hochul, compared to 34% favorable.
But Trump also is underwater in the district that borders Canada – with only 45% approving his job performance and 55% disapproving, according to the poll.
Constantino’s campaign said Gendebien is tied to Hochul, no matter how much he tries to disassociate from her because the Hochul-led state Democratic Party is helping bankroll his campaign.
“Kathy Hochul is Blake Gendebien’s biggest donor and is funding his campaign with hundreds of thousands of dollars,” said Alex DeGrasse, senior advisor to Anthony Constantino.
“Hochul has so much control over him that when he ran an ad saying he would stand up to her, she demanded he take it down, and he did. Blake Gendebien is Kathy Hochul’s puppet and everyone knows it.”
The Gendebien campaign on Thursday did not back off the candidate’s refusal to support Hochul. Instead, it shifted focus to Constantino’s ties to Trump.
“Anthony Constantino says only Donald Trump and [longtime Trump adviser] Roger Stone can control him,” Gendebien campaign manager Michael Waller said. “Reporters looking for someone taking orders from party bosses should start there.”
State Democratic Party chairman Jay Jacobs, a top Hochul ally, gave Gendebien a pass for not publicly backing the governor. He said Gendebien needs to attract Republican votes to pull off an upset.
“Blake is focusing on his race and his candidacy. He wants his candidacy to stand on its own,” Jacobs said.
