Dan Stec nets Conservative Party backing for NY-21 special election

New York’s Conservative Party endorses State Sen. Stec in his bid to replace U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik

By Lucy Hodgman, Times Union Staff Writer

ALBANY — State Sen. Dan Stec has won the support of New York’s Conservative Party in his bid to succeed U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, an outcome that is expected to give him a lot of momentum in a crowded field of congressional hopefuls. 

State Conservative Chairman Gerard Kassar said Monday that his party had recommended Stec to the district’s Republican Party committee chairs. The 15 chairs — who represent each of the counties in New York’s 21st Congressional District — are responsible for selecting their party’s nominee to run in a special election when Stefanik resigns to join President Donald J. Trump’s cabinet.

“I can only hope that the GOP comes out at the same place we do, but that remains to be seen,” Kassar told the Times Union. “We feel that Dan Stec is worthy of our recommendation and the understanding that he’s the one who carries the greatest amount of support from us.” 

Generally, the Republican and Conservative parties try to align their political nominations, especially in congressional races.

NYS Sen. Dan Stec: ‘The hiking senator’

Stec has a perfect legislative rating from the party, Kassar noted, and has already been elected by voters in NY-21 — his North Country state Senate district is entirely within the boundaries of Stefanik’s congressional district. Kassar said should the GOP chairs decline to select Stec, the Conservative Party would also enthusiastically back two other GOP contenders: Assemblyman Chris Tague and former congressional candidate Liz Joy. 

Although Stec, Tague and Joy have emerged as frontrunners in the competitive selection process, they’re not the only ones vying for the seat. Kassar said Conservative Party leaders interviewed several other candidates before making their decision. He added they’d consider leaving the Conservative ballot line blank if the GOP chairs eventually settled on someone who hadn’t taken time to meet with them. 

Although Kassar declined to specify which of the candidates Conservative leaders had interviewed, numerous upstate Republicans have thrown their names into contention for the seat, among them former U.S. Senate candidate Joe Pinion, Sticker Mule CEO Anthony Constantino and Assemblyman Robert Smullen. 

Stec, 56, is a Navy veteran who spent four terms in the state Assembly before he was elected to the Senate in 2020. His district abuts both Canada and Vermont, running from the northern border down to Glens Falls. Stec’s district includes seven state prisons and he’s been a staunch advocate for repealing New York’s 2019 retooled bail statues and the 2022 HALT Act. He has also been a political ally of Stefanik’s during her decade in the House. 

“I’m delighted that the Conservatives have indicated their preference for me,” Stec told the Times Union. “I hope that carries weight with the Republican chairs as well — obviously, the other people that it’ll be interesting to see where they land publicly beforehand will be Congresswoman Stefanik and the president. But ultimately, the Republican line will be decided by those 15 chairs.”

The Conservative Party leaders have made their recommendations known across the Republican Party, Kassar said, sharing them with state and national party leaders, representatives of the White House and New York’s Republican congressional delegation. Trump’s transition team is expected to have influence in the Republicans’ final decision. And while Stefanik has taken an arms-length approach to the process so far, her endorsement could carry a lot of weight. 

The eventual Republican nominee is expected to face Democrat Blake Gendebien, a Lisbon dairy farmer and political newcomer. The party’s Democratic chairs announced Gendebien as their pick in February, anticipating that Stefanik (who had by that point completed a farewell tour of the district) would resign imminently. 

But the congresswoman’s official appointment as Trump’s selection for ambassador to the United Nations has been on hold for months as part of a Republican strategy to defend the party’s slim majority in the House. She’s expected to get a final confirmation vote from the Senate on April 2 — the day after two special elections in Florida to replace former U.S. Reps. Matt Gaetz and Michael Waltz. 

Stefanik is likely to resign soon after, triggering the state’s special election proceedings. Gov. Kathy Hochul will have 10 days after the seat becomes vacant to schedule a special election within the following 70 to 80 days. Kassar suggested June 24, when primary elections will be held around the state, as a potential date for the special election. 

Top photo: State Senator Daniel Stec. Explorer file photo