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Democrats poised to unveil Suozzi as candidate for Santos seat [1]
['Dave Goldiner']
Date: 2023-12-07
Ex-Rep. Tom Suozzi Thursday was picked by Democratic leaders to run for the Long Island seat held by disgraced ex-Rep. George Santos, who was ousted from Congress last week.
The moderate Democrat who previously represented most of the district was selected by party bosses to run in a Feb. 13 special election to fill the remainder of Santos’ term.
“Tom Suozzi has a proven record of … fighting to safeguard our suburban way of life here on Long Island and Queens,” Democratic leaders said in a statement.
Republicans trashed Suozzi as a retread candidate who abandoned the district once before.
“Tom Suozzi’s attempted comeback tour will be playing all the hits: self-enrichment, defunding the police, and raising taxes. just to name a few,” said Savannah Viar, a spokeswoman for the National Republican Congressional Committee.
Suozzi, who ran a nasty primary against Gov. Hochul last year, buried the hatchet with Hochul to win her crucial backing for the coronation for what is likely to be a hard-fought marquee battle with national political implications.
Republicans plan to announce their candidate early next week. Under state law, the candidates are picked by the party leaders, not primary elections.
Potential GOP candidates include Nassau County legislator Mazi Pilip, Air Force veteran Kellen Curry, and ex-NYPD cop Mike Sapraicone. State Sen. Martins represents most of the area but has said he’s not interested in running.
The Suozzi decision came after an internal Republican poll showed him with a slim lead over three potential GOP rivals.
The survey showed voters have a favorable opinion of Suozzi by a healthy 48%-to-32% margin. He leads Pilip, Curry and Sapraicone by anywhere from 4% to 6%, the poll said.
The special election looms large in part because Republicans hold only a narrow eight-seat majority in the House of Representatives, meaning leaders can afford to lose only the votes of three of their own members to pass legislation.
Ex-House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) also plans to resign his seat shortly before the New Year, reducing the GOP edge further.
The election on Long Island also will serve as a congressional bellwether at the start of the presidential year political season.
Democrats believe they can grab the seat, which President Biden carried by 8%. But the GOP has won a string of political victories on Long Island.
Democrats are optimistic about taking back the House in 2024 after losing control last year. They could achieve that mostly by flipping a handful of seats in New York State and the city’s suburbs that Republicans won in a mini-red wave in the midterms, including the 3rd District.
The special election will be held using the same district lines as in 2022. But the district could be tweaked ahead of the 2024 vote if the state’s highest court gives a green light for a new round of redistricting.
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[1] Url:
https://www.nydailynews.com/2023/12/07/democrats-poised-to-unveil-ex-rep-tom-suozzi-as-candidate-george-santos-old-seat/
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