We bring together reporters covering the news here in the North Country to talk about some of the big stories of the past couple of weeks, including President Trump’s endorsement in the upcoming New York 21 primary and whether it could shake up the race for Elise Stefanik’s seat in Congress.
Joining us this week are Pat Bradley, who is the North Country Bureau Chief for WAMC Northeast Public Radio, and Alek LaShomb, who is the Plattsburgh Bureau Chief for WCAX-TV. They weigh in on President Trump’s blockbuster endorsement in the upcoming GOP primary among the candidates looking to succeed Elise Stefanik in Congress, in the North Country’s 21st District. In a post a week ago, the president threw his weight behind upstate businessman Anthony Constantino, the CEO of Sticker Mule in Amsterdam, who is running against state Assemblyman Robert Smullen in the June Republican primary. The endorsement flies in the face of New York’s GOP state party Chairman Ed Cox and 12 of the 15 Republican committees in the 21st district who have announced that they are backing Smullen for the seat. Smullen spoke to reporters at the Clinton County Republican Committee meeting over the weekend in Altona.
Pat and Alek also talked with Republican Bruce Blakeman about his run for governor in New York, the demolition of a landmark hotel in Malone, and the kickoff of the next phase of Plattsburgh’s Battlefield Memorial Gateway project.