Republican Anthony Constantino says he may sue after new poll shows him trailing Democrat in Stefanik successor race

Anthony Constantino, the Republican businessman seeking to succeed retiring U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, said he is prepared to challenge the process after a new poll showed him trailing his Democratic opponent in the race for Stefanik’s seat in New York’s 21st Congressional District.

The New York Post reported that Constantino is considering a lawsuit following the release of the poll, characterizing the result as a sharp surprise in a district that has leaned strongly Republican in recent election cycles. The report did not provide additional official findings or court filings as of publication.

Constantino’s position would place him against the Democratic candidate named in the report as his opponent in the succession race. The reported poll outcome, according to the New York Post, put Constantino behind rather than ahead, raising questions for his campaign about how voter support is being measured and reported.

Stefanik, a Republican, has announced she is retiring from the House, setting up an open-seat contest. The New York Post framed the development as part of the campaign’s effort to address early momentum, while Constantino’s potential legal action, as described by the paper, centers on contesting what he views as an unacceptable mismatch between expectations and the poll results.

Election-law challenges often involve claims about ballot access, voting rules, election administration, or the accuracy and conduct of polling and related representations. However, the New York Post report did not specify the legal theory Constantino would pursue, the forum, or any demand for relief beyond the statement that a lawsuit is being contemplated.

As of the time of the New York Post report, no court case or complaint is identified in the available material. If Constantino files, the dispute would typically be expected to move through state or federal court channels depending on the claimed basis for jurisdiction and the remedies sought.

The race remains an open-seat contest shaped by national party turnout dynamics and local district patterns, but Constantino’s threat of litigation, if carried forward, would add an additional procedural track alongside standard campaigning and get-out-the-vote work. It also would require election officials and courts, if involved, to address the legal claims on a schedule that can be time-sensitive as voting approaches.