Russ Finley (Photo provided)

Russell Finley, a beef cattle farmer and real estate broker from St. Lawrence County, is challenging U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-Willsboro, in a Republican primary in 2018.

“I have a job right now that I love. But unless somebody better does this, nobody’s going to have anything,” Finley said in a telephone interview on Tuesday.

Finley, a Republican who previously ran twice unsuccessfully for state Assembly and also worked on Karen Bisso’s unsuccessful Assembly campaigns, recently filed a “statement of candidacy” with the Federal Election Commission, a required procedure to begin raising and spending money for a congressional campaign.

He also has established a campaign Facebook page.

Finley lives in Lisbon. He said he will challenge Stefanik in a Republican primary and will ask the Conservative Party for permission to challenge in their primary, as well.

“I am going to ask for a primary, not the sole (Conservative Party) endorsement. I think that’s only fair,” he said.

Under New York election law, candidates not enrolled in the political party must get permission from party leaders to run.

Finley said he will not seek the Independence Party endorsement or run in the general election as an independent.

Finley said he is a “true conservative,” who has a strong work ethic and is familiar with the 12-county 21st Congressional District.

He said he worked on the snowmaking crew at White Face Mountain ski center to earn money for college and has climbed many of the Adirondack High Peaks.

“Do you know when my last day off was? — Aug. 13, 1998,” he said. “I am a small government conservative that believes in the free market, and I believe in keeping people’s money in their pockets.”

Warren County Republican Chairman Michael Grasso, contacted Wednesday, said he is not familiar with Finley, but said Stefanik, a two-term incumbent, is highly respected among Republicans in the district.

“Never heard of him,” Grasso said. “I can’t see him getting any traction among the Republican Party. Elise has been doing the right thing.”

St. Lawrence County Conservative Party Chairman Hank Ford, contacted Tuesday, said he is familiar with Finley, but was not aware of his congressional bid.

“This is the first I’ve heard about it,” he said.

Finley, asked twice, would not specify votes Stefanik has cast that he disagrees with.

“There are many things that I disagree on, but I want to stay above the fray. I want to be polite and professional,” he said. “This isn’t about Elise and what she has done that I disagree with. This is about making sure the people of the district have a voice.”

Finley, continuing a theme of criticism of Stefanik voiced by Democrats in recent months, said he would be “open and transparent” and would participate in public town hall forums open to all.

Stefanik has said small group meetings, telephone conference calls, and forums moderated by the media are more productive than open town hall forums with unstructured discussion.

“I am going to be open and transparent. If dissenters want to show up at my meetings and try to shout me down — well, good luck with that. I’ve got a pretty good set of lungs,” Finley said. “I will sit down with anyone — left wing, right wing, it doesn’t matter. And if you can make me a good point, that’s fine. But I do not and will not concede to or believe in the progressive agenda.”

Finley was the Conservative Party candidate for state Assembly in the 116th District in 2014, placing third in the general election, and lost a Republican primary in the 116th District in 2016.

Among other political parties, four candidates have announced they are seeking the Democratic nomination in the 21st Congressional District in 2018.

The Democratic candidates are as follows:

Tedra Cobb of Canton, a business consultant and former St. Lawrence County legislator;

Emily Martz of Saranac Lake, an economic development adviser;

Patrick Nelson of Stillwater, a political activist and Bernie Sanders delegate to the 2016 Democratic National Convention;

Katie Wilson of Keene, a political activist and business owner.

Grasso, the Warren County Republican chairman, dismissed the strong interest among Democrats as “just another vocal movement by the Democratic Party.”

Grasso said he is confident Stefanik will win both the primary and general elections.

“Her record has been impeccable, and we certainly appreciate what she is doing,” he said.

Democrats, however, have said Stefanik could be vulnerable, because of dissatisfaction among the electorate with President Donald Trump and with Stefanik’s vote in favor of repealing and replacing former President Obama’s health care plan.

Stefanik is well positioned financially for her re-election bid.

She had $875,477 in her campaign fund, as of June 30, the most recent quarterly report filed with the Federal Election Commission.

If Stefanik continues the same pace of fundraising, she will have more than $2.6 million to spend on her re-election bid.

She also has become a prolific fundraiser for other GOP House candidates, which can win her support from the Republican Party if she faces a competitive primary or general election challenge.

Stefanik, through her E-PAC political action committee, contributed $10,000 to the National Republican Congressional Committee in June, bringing her PAC’s total contributions to the NRCC to $15,000 so far this year.

Through E-PAC, Stefanik also contributed $1,000 each in June to the re-election campaigns of 13 of her House Republican colleagues.

Among Democratic candidates, Nelson, of Stillwater, had $10,121 in his campaign fund, as of June 30.

The other three Democratic candidates had not yet begun fundraising as of June 30.

(Editor’s note: Four daily newspapers in the North Country — the Enterprise, Post-Star of Glens Falls, Watertown Daily Times and Press-Republican of Plattsburgh — are sharing content to better cover New York’s 21st Congressional District.)