On Thursday, New York Democrats selected former Representative Tom Suozzi as their party’s nominee for the special election to succeed expelled Republican ex-Representative George Santos.
“I will work day and night with both parties to deliver for the people, to make living here more affordable, safer and better. I delivered for this district before, and I will do it again by putting you ahead of partisanship. Let’s reject the nonsense and get back to work,” Suozzi said in a statement shared to X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, shortly after news broke of his nomination.
Having formerly represented New York’s 3rd District, Suozzi stepped away to pursue a gubernatorial run. His return to challenge the embattled Santos and reclaim his House seat was widely anticipated.
Santos faced expulsion from the House due to a short-lived tenure marked by scandals.
Governor Kathy Hochul of New York (D) recently declared that the special election to fill the vacant seat will take place on February 13. Republicans in the state have not yet revealed their nominee for this special contest.
Following Santos’s expulsion, the nonpartisan Cook Political Report has categorized the special election as a “toss-up,” with the seat considered a significant chance for Democrats to gain a crucial pickup.
“Tom Suozzi has a proven record of fighting for his constituents, fighting to safeguard our suburban way of life here on Long Island and Queens and always advocating for sensible solutions to the real challenges affecting everyday average Americans,” Nassau County and New York state Democratic Chair Jay Jacobs and Rep. Gregory Meeks, the Queens County Democratic chair, said in a joint statement announcing the pick.
“We look forward to working with the Suozzi Campaign, and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee to restore integrity, competence and a focus on the real needs of our larger community in the Third Congressional District,” Jacobs and Meeks said.
