Anthony Constantino, the founder and CEO of Sticker Mule, has secured the Republican nomination in New York's 21st Congressional District, a seat being vacated by Rep. Elise Stefanik. Constantino, who is self-funding his campaign, stated that his public endorsement of Donald Trump in 2024 led to significant financial repercussions for his custom printing company.
Constantino told The Post that an internal audit indicated his Upstate New York-based company, Sticker Mule, lost up to $50 million in revenue following his endorsement of Trump. He also claimed the company lost approximately 250,000 customers and experienced a decline in advertising efficiency and search performance.
"This situation in America is never going to get better if somebody doesn’t power through on this and just not back down," Constantino said regarding the backlash. He is self-funding his campaign to maintain independence and focus on issues he prioritizes, such as reshoring American manufacturing.
Constantino, 43, cited an incident in 2016 where purchasing MAGA Christmas ornaments for his mother's neighbors resulted in his company facing accusations of cancellation after a left-wing influencer publicized the purchase. He described the experience as a "full-scale cancellation over Trump support," leading to "tens of thousands of Democrats writing us hate mail."
Following an assassination attempt on Trump in 2024, Constantino felt compelled to be more assertive. He sent an email to his company's mailing list endorsing the former president, stating, "Donald Trump got shot. And at that point, I just said, like, ‘All right, you know, enough’s enough.’ That experience… really woke me up to how bad the left has become."
He expressed a desire for people to feel comfortable expressing support for Trump, stating, "I’ve been scared to tell people that I was a Trump supporter. But [now] I want people to know I am a Trump supporter. And nobody should be scared to say that."
Constantino, who was raised in the Rust Belt, has expressed a strong focus on revitalizing American manufacturing. He aims to make domestic production faster, cheaper, and better by encouraging innovation in manufacturing processes and machinery design. He believes his company can serve as a model for domestic manufacturing and job creation.
"I grew up in a manufacturing town… I saw manufacturers getting destroyed my whole life," Constantino said. "My whole town is covered in empty buildings [that] used to be great factories."
He also addressed concerns about automation, stating that his company's automation efforts have coincided with employment growth and increased wages, countering the idea that automation solely leads to job losses. "I’m constantly automating. But my growth was so good that I could automate and grow employment and raise wages at the same time."