Democrat Tom Suozzi will replace Republican George Santos in Congress
Democrat Tom Suozzi has defeated Repubilcan Mazi Pilip to win New York’s Third Congressional District seat in the U.S. House of Representatives, filling the vacancy left late last year when openly-gay Republican George Santos was expelled from the House.
Suozzi won with 53 percent of the vote in the Tuesday, Feb. 13 election. He could be sworn in as early as Thursday, Feb. 15.
Suozzi, an ally to the LGBTQ community, represented the Third District from 2017 to 2023, but did not run for re-election in 2022, choosing instead to run for governor, losing in the Democratic Primary to the eventual general election winner, Kathy Hochul.
His win in the special election closes the already narrow gap between Republicans and Democrats in the House, now including 219 Republicans and 213 Democrats, with three seats vacant. (California Republican Kevin McCarthy resigned Dec. 31 after 16 years in the House after being booted from his position as Speaker; Ohio Republican Bill Johnson resigned Jan. 22 after 14 years in the House to take a position as president of Youngstown State University, and Democrat Brian Higgins resigned Feb. 2 after 19 years in the House, citing frustration over Congress’ growing dysfunction.)
Santos, who faces numerous federal criminal charges, was expelled after the House Ethics Committee, at the first of December, issued a report saying there was substantial evidence that he had broken federal laws.
