Democrats flip Santos’s New York House seat in high-stakes special election

Former Rep. Tom Suozzi (D) has won back his old seat in the House, giving Democrats a critical pickup that will further narrow the GOP House majority, according to a projection from Decision Desk HQ.

Suozzi defeated Republican Mazi Pilip in the special election to fill the seat vacated by former Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.), who was expelled from his seat in December in the aftermath of criminal charges being filed against him and the many false claims he made about his background.

The race was seen as an important bellwether heading into the November general election, as New York will be key to Democrats’ strategy to win back control of the House. The 3rd Congressional District is one of five in the state that voted for Biden in 2020 but elected a Republican representative in 2022.

During his campaign, Suozzi emphasized his ties to the 3rd District, which he represented for six years before not seeking reelection in 2022 for an unsuccessful gubernatorial bid. He positioned himself as a moderate who is willing to break with his own party and work across the aisle.

Republicans sought to tie Suozzi to President Biden and unpopular policies of the administration, but he fended off the challenge from Pilip, a Nassau County legislator.

The former congressman ran on a platform that includes repealing the cap on state and local tax deductions to reduce the cost of living, protecting abortion access and advocating for the compromise immigration deal he previously reached in 2019 with then-Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.).

Immigration, in particular, took a central role in the contest in recent weeks, with the issue receiving national attention as a potential deal was being negotiated in Congress. Suozzi declared his support for the deal that Senate negotiators reached addressing the border situation and criticized Pilip for her opposition.

The deal failed to advance last week after former President Trump urged Republicans to oppose it.

Polls leading up to Election Day had shown Suozzi in the lead but within the margin of error. Once Suozzi is sworn in, the already-tight Republican majority in the House will narrow to 219-213.

Suozzi will also now be the incumbent heading into the November elections, when he will seek a full term representing the district.