Republican candidate Anthony Constantino accused his Democratic opponent Blake Gendebien of illegally dumping dead cattle and debris near a local waterway in Ogdensburg. This occurred during a press conference on Monday where aerial photos were shown as evidence, alongside allegations from an anonymous former employee. National Democrats have added the race to their "Red to Blue" list, indicating they see potential for flipping the historically Republican district that Elise Stefanik previously won with 62% of the vote in 2024. Gendebien denied the accusations and claimed he had been cleared by a DEC investigation earlier this year.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-06,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
Republican candidate Anthony Constantino accused his Democratic opponent, Blake Gendebien, of illegally dumping dead cattle and tires near a local watershed in St. Lawrence County, New York. According to an anonymous former employee, these actions violate both state and federal laws. At a press conference on Monday, Constantino showed aerial footage taken by private investigators to demonstrate the alleged illegal dumping at Gendebien’s Ogdensburg farm. This incident comes as Democrats are increasing their efforts in the race for Elise Stefanik's vacated House seat, adding it to their list of “Red to Blue” target districts and planning significant spending.
Written for “NY Congressional Race Controversy” on 2026-10-06,
grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.
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Leaning: leans right for article 61177 (medium confidence, 1 verified quote) · logged 2026-10-06
An upstate New York GOP candidate looking to succeed outgoing Rep. Elise Stefanik is accusing his opponent of illegally dumping dead cattle and debris – as national Democrats start pumping money into the reliably red district in hopes of flipping the seat.
asserted
Democrats → look → seat
Anthony Constantino called his Dem opponent, Blake Gendebien, a “snob” with an “abusive anti-American temperament” over allegations being levied by an anonymous former employee that the St. Lawrence County dairy farmer illegally dumped tires and dead cattle near a watershed.
asserted
farmer → call → watershed
“Mr. Gendebien is regularly dumping garbage into a local waterway.
asserted
Gendebien → dump → waterway
This is a violation of multiple state and federal laws,” Constantino claimed at a press conference Monday, before showing aerial photos of tires and other debris snapped by private investigators near Gendebien’s Ogdensburg farm.
asserted
Constantino → claim → farm
“If Blake won’t take care of his land, why would he take care of us?” an ominous voice said over drone footage shown to reporters of the alleged dumping ground.
asserted
voice → take → ground
The attack comes as House Democrats’ campaign arm made a high profile move to add the North Country district to its “Red to Blue” list of potentially winnable races.
asserted
arm → come → races
The move is rumored to come with a spending plan by national Dems, which would be an indicator that they believe the race – which Stefanik, a Republican, carried with 62% of the vote in 2024 – is within reach.
asserted
Stefanik → rumor → reach
Cook Political Report recently moved the race from “Solid Republican” to “Likely Republican.”
asserted
Report → move → Republican
At Constantino’s discretion, the private investigators filed a report with state police last week and called for a probe into the alleged illegal dumping.
asserted
investigators → file → dumping
In a sworn statement included in a complaint Constantino’s investigators made to state police, a former employee of Gendebien’s dairy farm also alleged the Dem hired at least one undocumented Mexican migrant before he obtained legal status to work in the US.
asserted
he → swear → US
That employee, who Constantino’s campaign would not identify, said he was instructed by Gendebien to dispose of dead cows by hauling them over the embankment and into a creek — and saw heaping piles of cow carcasses and junk.
asserted
he → identify → carcasses
“I estimate approximately twenty to thirty deceased cattle were disposed of there during my employment,” the person wrote in the signed document.
asserted
person → estimate → document
But Gendebien’s campaign told The Post the DEC previously investigated the site after a complaint and “cleared” him.
asserted
DEC → tell → him
In a statement, Gendebein accused Constantino of being a “weirdo drone stalking my home and business because he doesn’t know how farming works.”
asserted
farming → accuse → home
“I’ve already been cleared here,” Gendebien wrote.
asserted
Gendebien → clear → ?
A DEC spokesperson said its officers visited the Democrat’s farm on Sept. 3 and did not find a violation.
asserted
officers → say → violation
Gendebien declared his candidacy for Stefanik’s New York House seat in early 2025 after the Republican congresswoman was tapped as President Trump’s UN ambassador, before her nomination was pulled.
asserted
nomination → declare → ambassador
Asked Monday if he’s worried about national Dems’ interest in the race, Constantino brushed it off as a ploy to jack up their fundraising numbers.
asserted
Constantino → ask → numbers
“Every time a story comes out that this race is competitive, the betting markets either remain unchanged or they move more in my favor,” Constantino said, adding Kalshi and Polymarket wagers show him leading the race.
asserted
him → come → race
A state police spokesperson confirmed to The Post that they had received Constantino’s complaint and that “the matter remains under investigation.”
asserted
matter → confirm → investigation
The Aporia
