Dems clinch N.Y. election win to replace George Santos — cutting into GOP House majority
New York Democrats scored a victory on Tuesday night, reported the New York Times and USA Today, with former Congressman Tom Suozzi retaking his seat and defeating Nassau County legislator Mazi Melesa Pilip in the special election for the state's 3rd Congressional District, based in the western part of Long Island.
The victory is another blow to House Republicans, who now find themselves defending an even narrower majority going into the 2024 presidential election.
The result also concludes the lengthy saga that began when former GOP Rep. George Santos was unexpectedly elected to this district, which President Joe Biden won by 8 points in 2020 but saw a rightward shift along with the rest of Long Island in recent years, after Suozzi vacated the seat to run unsuccessfully for governor.
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Shortly after his victory, a series of reports revealed that Santos had fabricated much of his life story and qualifications for office on the campaign trail, telling false stories about his education, work experience, and ancestry. He also found himself under state and federal criminal investigations into his campaign finance spending.
After he was indicted for fraud for allegedly mishandling campaign donors' money and even making personal charges to their credit cards, and after a blistering House Ethics Committee report that outlined a pattern of financial schemes and obstruction, the House expelled Santos in an overwhelming bipartisan vote, vacating the seat.
The special election to replace Santos has been marked by debates over a number of national issues, including abortion rights, border security, and even threats to the country's democratic process.