Yet Constantino is unabashed about his loyalty in a way that few Republicans can rival. As other GOP lawmakers introduce legislation to put Trump on the $100 bill, carve his face into Mount Rushmore, or make his birthday a federal holiday, Constantino is thinking of equally grand gestures.

Constantino gifted Trump a 7-foot bronze statue of his likeness in 2025 to commemorate the assassination attempt he survived as a candidate for president. The price tag for that statue, on display at Trump’s West Palm Beach golf course, is estimated at $250,000.

In an interview, Constantino framed his in-your-face support of the president as a way to remove the social stigma associated with backing Trump, a decision he says has led to repeated boycotts and cost him hundreds of thousands of Sticker Mule customers.

“Somebody needs to be tough, or what happens is every time somebody says they like the president, they get their head taken off,” Constantino said. “They get criticized, and then they either stay quiet or they apologize sometimes, and so, I was like, I got to go the other way.”

It has also proven to be an effective way to get on the president’s radar, who is notorious for his love of flattery. Trump mentioned the factory sign in endorsing Constantino in April, at a time when his path to the GOP nomination seemed less clear.

One of Constantino’s album tracks, a rap song complete with an AI-generated music video, went viral after the president posted it on Truth Social in June.

Constantino, a 43-year-old political newcomer whose resume includes a stint in professional boxing, was not the New York GOP establishment’s first choice to replace Stefanik, who decided to retire from Congress after a short-lived campaign for governor. Constantino had to overcome a June primary challenge from state Assemblyman Robert Smullen and the local leaders backing him.

But Constantino benefited from a direct line to the White House a la Roger Stone, a longtime political operative who encouraged him to run in late 2024, when it appeared as though Stefanik would become Trump’s ambassador to the United Nations.

Stone invited Constantino to dinner to walk through what it’s like to work in Washington and later urged the president to endorse him. That endorsement ultimately helped him prevail in a 19-point primary victory.

In a text message, Stone said Constantino stood out for having grown his business to more than 1,000 employees, adding that Constantino “doesn’t have to kiss the a** of lobbyists or special interests” because he is self-funding his campaign.

“Add to that His limitless energy and his competitive spirit and he is a great candidate,” Stone said.

Constantino is not altogether different from Stefanik, who rose to MAGA stardom as a vocal defender of the president during his first impeachment. The two went to the same high school and have become better acquainted as Constantino entered politics. His political team includes longtime Stefanik adviser Alex Degrasse.

“I’m my own person,” Constantino said. “I make my own decisions, but my mind’s similarly oriented to her, the way she sees the world and the way President Trump sees the world.”

In both style and substance, Constantino is bringing a Trumpian flair to his candidacy. Like Trump, he is a showman. He launched his campaign last November in front of a towering wall of frozen turkeys as a Thanksgiving giveaway stunt.

Constantino also has the same combative bent. In his primary’s more tense moments, Constantino has traded insults with state party officials and is fending off two defamation-related battles in court.

Earlier this month, he threatened to sue a local TV station over a poll that showed him trailing his Democratic opponent, dairy farmer Blake Gendebien, by 4 points. Constantino is viewed as the favorite, with nonpartisan election forecasters expecting it to stay in Republican hands. A subsequent poll showed him ahead by 10 points.

Should he be elected in November, Constantino said he would be a team player for House Republicans. There is some uncertainty about who would be at the top of congressional leadership if the GOP loses its narrow majority, but Constantino says he’s expressed to the president, Stefanik, and others that he wants to be “helpful.”

“When you’re going into an organization as a freshman congressperson, it’s nice when you listen to other people,” Constantino said. “So, I want to hear from the people that have been doing the job effectively, including congresswoman Stefanik, congressman Jordan, the speaker, and I want to get their insight as to how I can be most helpful for the country.”

When asked if he sees himself joining the conservative Freedom Caucus, Constantino said he likes their members and has a “good relationship” with Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), a founding member, but would “make that decision when the time comes.”

In the interview, Constantino repeatedly returned to how he believes his business background has prepared him for a career in politics. He said Congress lacks a “tech mindset” and emphasized the early days of his company, when he said he fielded all of the customer service for Sticker Mule himself.

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As far as legislative priorities, Constantino said he would advocate cell and internet service for his largely rural district and also mentioned the agriculture industry there as a top concern.

He tied the sector into Trump’s Make America Healthy Again movement and noted that he still trains for fighting matches. He said he recently finished training with Henry Cejudo, a Trump-supporting UFC champion.