Blake Gendebien, the Missing Debate and the Golden Age Choice in NY-21
By Hans Wilder | NY-21.vote
I’ll say this right out of the gate: I personally did not need to see a debate between Anthony Constantino and Blake Gendebien to know where I stand in this race. I have followed both candidates closely enough to understand the direction each represents, and for me this election comes down to whether Northern New York wants to move forward into America’s Golden Age or continue managing the same slow decline we have been watching for decades.
My position is no secret. I believe Anthony Constantino represents the kind of forward-looking politics this district needs. I want to see Northern New York become a center for manufacturing, energy, artificial intelligence, defense technology, agriculture, infrastructure and economic expansion. I want Fort Drum strengthened, our border taken seriously, our communities growing again and our young people finding reasons to build their futures here instead of leaving. That is the Golden Age I keep talking about, and that is the direction I believe Constantino represents.
But this election is not only about people like me who have already made up their minds. There are still undecided voters throughout the 21st Congressional District, and those voters deserved the opportunity to see these two men standing on the same stage, answering the same questions and defending their positions in real time.
As of September 24, North Country Public Radio reported that Constantino had accepted debate offers from both Spectrum News and WRGB. Gendebien’s campaign, meanwhile, said it was still evaluating debate requests, even though Gendebien had previously told NCPR that he would “absolutely” debate Constantino and thought a debate would be great. The Times Union also reported that no debate had been agreed upon in NY-21 as regional media organizations continued trying to put one together.
That is where the problem begins. Getting clear answers out of Blake Gendebien during this campaign sometimes feels like trying to pull teeth from a donkey. A debate would have taken away the ability to hide behind campaign releases, carefully selected interviews, social media posts and canned talking points. Both candidates would have been standing there together, and Northern New Yorkers could have judged their answers for themselves.
That matters because the differences between these two candidates are substantial. Voters deserve direct answers about Fort Drum, the northern border, trade with Canada, agriculture, energy, immigration, federal spending, artificial intelligence, economic development and what exactly each candidate believes Northern New York should look like ten or twenty years from now.
Those are not small questions. They are the questions that will determine whether this region participates in the enormous technological and economic changes now taking place across America or watches them happen somewhere else.
Northern New York has spent far too long being told to accept less. We have been conditioned to celebrate slowing the decline rather than reversing it. A business closes and we talk about preserving what remains. Young people leave and we call it demographic reality. Infrastructure ages and politicians announce another study. That is not my vision for this district, and it certainly is not what I mean when I talk about the Golden Age.
The Golden Age means thinking bigger. It means looking at Fort Drum and recognizing that one of the most important military installations in the United States can become even more important. It means looking at our proximity to Canada and the Great Lakes and seeing opportunity instead of merely a line on the map. It means new energy projects, new manufacturing, new technology, new transportation infrastructure and communities that are actually preparing for growth rather than planning around decline.
A congressional debate would have given voters the opportunity to ask which candidate actually sees that future and which candidate is prepared to explain how he intends to get us there.
North Country Public Radio said it received more than 400 responses when it asked voters what they wanted to hear from the candidates. That should tell both campaigns something. People are paying attention. They have questions, and they want answers.
I already know where I stand. I believe Anthony Constantino represents the stronger Golden Age direction for this district. But voters who have not made their decision yet deserved the chance to see both candidates tested in the same room.
Blake Gendebien said he would debate. Anthony Constantino accepted multiple debate invitations. Yet as October begins, NY-21 still does not have a debate scheduled.
For a race this important, Northern New Yorkers deserved better than that.
