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Christopher Schmidt, a Washington County native, is running as an Independent candidate for New York's 21st Congressional District seat left vacant after Representative Elise Stefanik announced she would not seek reelection.
According to NEWS10, Schmidt's campaign focuses on government accountability, lowering costs for working families, rural healthcare and veterans, and supporting agriculture and the rural economy. If elected, he plans to introduce the Single Subject Limitation Act, which would prevent hidden provisions in omnibus bills.
As an Independent candidate, Schmidt faces a steeper path to the ballot than major party candidates. He must collect 3,500 petition signatures, while Republican and Democratic candidates need only 1,250 signatures. Schmidt filed legal action in the United States District Court for the Northern District of New York challenging this disparity, according to NEWS10. He will begin campaigning for ballot access once the petition window opens.
The 21st Congressional District became an open seat when President Donald Trump's nominee for United Nations ambassador, Stefanik, announced in December that she was suspending her gubernatorial campaign and would not run for reelection to Congress. Stefanik had served the district since 2014, winning six consecutive terms.
The district covers Clinton, Franklin, St. Lawrence, Lewis, Hamilton, Essex, Warren, Washington, Fulton, Herkimer, Montgomery, and Schoharie counties, plus portions of Jefferson, Oneida, and Saratoga counties.
Schmidt joins a crowded field of candidates. Republicans Robert Smullen, a state assemblyman, and Anthony Constantino, CEO of Sticker Mule, are seeking their party's nomination. Democrats Blake Gendebien, Dylan Hewitt, and Stuart Amoriell are competing in the Democratic primary. Another Independent candidate, Michael Metzgier of the American Independent Party, is also running, according to Ballotpedia.
The primary election is scheduled for Tuesday, June 23, with the general election set for Tuesday, November 3.