Voters in New York’s 3rd Congressional District elected former Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi Feb. 13 to the seat left vacant by disgraced former congressman George Santos. Santos was expelled in early December.

Suozzi defeated the Republican candidate, Nassau County Legislator Mazi Pilip, by nearly 8 points. Suozzi has a long history in Nassau County, which gave him high-name recognition and an edge on fundraising. He represented the district in the House from 2017-2023 and served on the Ways and Means Committee. He retired from Congress to run for New York’s governorship in 2022, where he lost in the primary to Gov. Kathy Hochul. In the days leading up to the election, funds from outside spending groups poured into both sides, as some pollsters had pegged the race to be within 3 points.

With Democrats flipping the seat, House Republicans currently hold a 219 – 213 advantage, with three vacancies. This means any legislative priorities GOP leadership attempts to move through the House will have to be done with an even tighter margin. Party operatives on both sides will also be looking to see what lessons can be learned from this matchup – particularly what issues will resonate with voters come November. Since the results came in, congressional Democrats have cautiously celebrated while House Republicans downplay the loss after Democrats significantly outspent Republicans in a district Biden carried by 8 points.

The current vacancies are California’s 20th District, the seat of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy; Ohio’s 6th District, formerly held by Rep. Bill Johnson; and New York’s 26th District, formerly filled by Rep. Brian Higgins. The next special election will also take place April 30 in New York to fill the Higgins seat.

Post Details

Publish Date

February 20, 2024

News Type

  • Washington Weekly

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