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Constantino Refers AI to Grok During Interview

The congressional nominee declined to name his district's most populous city while discussing AI terminology.

Updated on Oct. 15, 2026 in Artificial Intelligence

Isometric editorial illustration of a solitary stone monolith on a pedestal, representing the abstraction of knowledge in current political discourse.
Congressional nominee Anthony Constantino recently directed a reporter to use the AI chatbot Grok for basic local district information. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Republican nominee Anthony Constantino failed to identify Rome as the most populous city in New York's 21st Congressional District during an October interview. Instead, he directed the reporter to ask the AI chatbot Grok for information about the district.

Why it matters

The interaction occurred amid broader discourse on terminology, as Constantino referred to artificial intelligence as super intelligence during the conversation.

The district's most populous city, Rome, has a population of 32,000 residents. The candidate refers to artificial intelligence as SI, or super intelligence, following the rebranding terminology promoted by President Donald Trump.

The players

Anthony Constantino

He is the Republican nominee for New York's 21st Congressional District and the owner of the printing company Sticker Mule.

Donald Trump

He is the current President of the United States who endorsed Constantino prior to the June 2026 primary election.

Blake Gendebien

He is the Democratic candidate running against Anthony Constantino in the general election.

The details

Anthony Constantino, owner of the custom printing company Sticker Mule, directed the reporter to utilize the AI chatbot Grok to obtain local data. Constantino is currently competing against Democrat Blake Gendebien for the 21st Congressional District seat.

Timeline

  1. In 2025, Constantino gifted a bronze statue of himself to Donald Trump.

  2. Constantino secured the Republican nomination in the June 2026 primary.

  3. In October 2026, Constantino participated in an interview with journalist Jake Lahut.

  4. On November 3, 2026, the general election occurs for the 21st Congressional District.

The Tech Race

This interaction aligns with the shift toward the term super intelligence, mandated by President Donald Trump via executive order. It highlights how political candidates are increasingly integrating AI chatbot tools into their campaign and information strategies.

Voters in the district must determine if the candidate's reliance on AI chatbots for local knowledge impacts their perception of his fitness for office. The candidate's adoption of specific technological branding may influence how local residents interpret future campaign communications.

The takeaway

The event highlights the growing influence of AI tools like Grok in political discourse and campaign operations. Voters often evaluate candidates based on their grasp of regional issues, which remains a standard metric for assessing local representation.

Further reading

For additional context on how AI is impacting modern elections, see the Artificial Intelligence section.

Source note: This article includes information reported by Raw Story.

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Should voters expect congressional candidates to demonstrate specific knowledge about their local districts before election day?