Former Representative Tom Suozzi, a Democrat, emerged victorious in the special election prompted by the expulsion of Republican George Santos from the U.S. House of Representatives last year. This outcome further weakens the already precarious Republican grip on the House.
In 2020, George Santos challenged incumbent Tom Suozzi for New York’s 3rd Congressional district seat. Despite Suozzi’s victory, Santos alleged election fraud. Later in 2021, Suozzi declared he wouldn’t seek re-election to the seat, opting to pursue the governorship of New York instead. In the 2022 election, Santos secured victory over the Democratic candidate who vied to replace Suozzi, prevailing by an 8% margin.
Shortly following Santos’s victory, media investigations uncovered allegations that he had significantly embellished his personal history. By May 2023, Santos faced federal fraud charges, prompting Democrats to initiate proceedings to expel him from the House. While the initial expulsion effort faltered, by December, the House successfully voted to oust Santos, marking him as the inaugural Republican to be expelled from the chamber.
After his unsuccessful bid for governor, Suozzi sought to reclaim his former congressional seat, facing off against Republican Mazi Pilip. Despite a closely contested race, Suozzi emerged victorious with a margin exceeding 13,000 votes. As this contest was a special election, the seat will be contested again in November. This marked the first Democratic victory in the district in three years, prompting speculation about Suozzi’s ability to retain the seat in the upcoming elections.
While Suozzi has historically been aligned with President Biden, he deliberately sought to create distance from the aging president whenever possible. He notably urged Biden to take action to secure the southern border, citing the escalating influx of illegal immigrants. The relocation of thousands of undocumented migrants to Democrat-controlled cities such as New York and Chicago has prompted a shift in perspective among many liberal and independent voters in those regions regarding the border crisis.
