In special Long Island House race to replace George Santos, immigration dominates

NEW YORK — In eastern Queens and suburban Long Island, a test of the potency of immigration as a political tool is playing out in a special congressional race that may offer lessons for both parties in the nationwide November general election.

Any takeaways may be limited to the particulars of a unique race: a battle between a savvy and well-known centrist Democrat and a novice Republican nominee who has been evasive on the issues but has increasingly embraced Donald Trump.