EXCLUSIVE: Mario's Meltdown: Perennial Candidate Spends Closing Days Lying About Trump, Liking NSFW Posts, and Taking Money from Chuck Schumer's Allies

Mario Fratto's meltdown in the homestretch is a case study in how to not run for office

In the final days of a divisive GOP primary in upstate New York, one Republican candidate is betting that a closing message of lying about President Donald Trump, liking sexist comments about his opponent, and teaming up with Sen. Chuck Schumer’s (D., N.Y.) allies will get him over the finish line.

Unfortunately for perennial candidate Mario Fratto, such a strategy has never succeeded. But it’s worth running through the tape of the final days of his second campaign against Rep. Claudia Tenney (R., N.Y.). 

While Trump endorsed Tenney months ago and held a Tele-Rally for her last week, Fratto is sending deceptive mailers to voters in New York’s 24th District, horribly photoshopping himself next to Trump and boldly proclaiming, in a mailer strewn with inconsistent capitalization, that he is the “real pro-Trump, MAGA candidate for Congress.”

Trump himself seems to disagree. “Congresswoman Claudia Tenney is doing a great job for the fantastic people of New York’s 24th Congressional District!” he said in his endorsement of Tenney. “Claudia is fighting hard to secure our border, support our brave law enforcement and veterans, defend our always under siege Second Amendment, keep men out of women’s sports, cut taxes, and hold Joe Biden and the radical left accountable for their corruption. As chairwoman of the House Election Integrity Caucus, Claudia is working tirelessly to eliminate fraud in our elections. Congresswoman Claudia Tenney is a strong conservative, and has my complete and total endorsement!”

That’s problem number one for Fratto: lying about Trump. Up next is liking sexist comments about Tenney. Rather than spending time knocking on doors or raising money from traditional Republican donors (more on that next), Fratto laugh-reacted at a comment referring to his opponent as “chlamydia Claudia.”

The hyper-online Fratto even drew a formal rebuke from the Cayuga County Conservative Party, which blasted him for the “absolutely classless thing to do,” cautioning the failed candidate Fratto that “win or lose[,] this campaign is temporary[.] Your character and integrity are not.” 

The chairs of multiple county Conservative Parties in New York publicly attacked him for his antics. Mike Garlock, the chair of the Wayne County Conservative Party, wrote that Fratto “has no experience and he never will!”

Finally, Fratto’s campaign took thousands of dollars from a key cog in the Democratic Party’s infrastructure. Fratto’s final campaign finance report shows a $5,000 contribution from LIUNA PAC, a labor union that has flooded the Democrats with millions of dollars. Earlier this year, LIUNA PAC gave $1 million to House Majority PAC, the Democrats’ super PAC dedicated to flipping the House. Seems weird to give thousands of dollars to Fratto as well.

Remember that Fratto’s own campaign finance records are in fairly serious disarray, so it’s possible he needs all the help he can get. 

(READ: EXCLUSIVE: GOP Candidate Pays Back Mystery $200,000 Loan, Admits He Had No Idea His Finance Reports Were Wrong)

Polls close in just over 24 hours. We’ll find out soon enough if Fratto’s gamble of attacking Trump, laughing at sexist jokes about his opponent, and taking thousands of dollars from liberal groups pays off, or if he’ll be in an even deeper hole for 2026 if he aims for the Triple Crown of losing to Tenney. 

(READ: EXCLUSIVE: Mystery $459,395.83 Donated by GOP Candidate to Himself Despite Saying He Doesn't Have the Money)