Democrat Tom Suozzi scored a victory in the special election for New York's Third Congressional District, replacing serial fabulist and former Rep. George Santos.
The Associated Press predicted Suozzi triumphed over Republican Mazi Pilip with 52 percent of the votes counted.
The result is a strong sign for Democrats ahead of the November 2024 elections, in which they will seek to retake the House of Representatives after a Republican-led congressional term marked by chaos.
Suozzi's victory over Pilip further shrinks the Republican majority in the House of Representatives. The Republicans have only 219 seats and the Democrats will have a total of 213 seats with Suozzi.
His victory could jeopardize the Republican agenda given their razor-thin majority. Once he's sworn in, the House GOP can only afford to lose two votes to pass measures on which all Democrats vote no.
Serial liar Santos was voted out of Congress after just 11 months in office after an ethics report revealed he improperly diverted campaign donations to pay for Botox treatments, Hermes bags, OnlyFans and casino cash withdrawals.
Fearing defeat in New York, Republicans rushed to impeach Homeland Security Sec. to enforce. Alejandro Mayorkas earlier on Tuesday after failing last week.
Democrat Tom Suozzi scored a victory in the special election for New York's 10th Congressional District to replace Rep. George Santos
Suozzi, a former three-term congressman and Nassau County clerk, left his previous congressional seat to run for governor but lost in a primary to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul
New York's February 13 special election will be held in the Third District, which includes parts of Long Island and Queens
Because Majority Leader Steve Scalise had returned from cancer treatment and Suozzi had not yet been sworn in, they were able to lose three GOP votes and still pass the measure.
The vote came just as a nor'easter storm blanketed New York with snow and threatened to impact voter turnout.
Both Pilip and Suozzi urged voters to cast their ballots despite the winter storm warning until Tuesday evening, as up to a foot of snow fell in parts of the region.
Suozzi, a former three-term congressman and Nassau County clerk, left his previous congressional seat to run for governor but lost in a primary to New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.
Polls showed Suozzi, 61, with a slight advantage over Pilip, a member of the Nassau County Legislature, following Santos' disastrous fall.
President Biden himself stayed out of the race, and Suozzi told CNN a presidential visit would not be “helpful.”
Speaker Mike Johnson chose Pilip in the district earlier this month.
Pilip has said she will support Donald Trump if he is the Republican nominee, but not if he is convicted of a crime.
“No one is above the law,” said the Ethiopian-born former Israeli paratrooper. “If he is convicted of a crime, he cannot represent us.”
The candidates got their last chance in the days before the race. “The bottom line is that my opponent, Mazi Pilip, is George Santos 2.0,” Suozzi shouted at the Republican as he trudged into Plainview, NY over the weekend.
Meanwhile, Republican Nassau County Administrator Bruce Blakeman torched Suozzi on behalf of Pilip.
“Mazi stood with me as we hired an additional 200 police officers over the last two years,” Blakeman said on Cats Roundtable radio station WABC 770 AM.
“When Tom Suozzi was county executive, he wanted to defund the police,” he continued. “He raised taxes. He made Nassau County a sanctuary.'
Both candidates are putting Israel and immigration at the center of their race.
Suozzi has criticized House Republicans for refusing to negotiate the border and took aim at his opponent's opposition to bipartisan immigration and foreign aid legislation introduced in the Senate.
The $95 billion relief package passed the Senate on Tuesday morning, but its fate in the House is uncertain.
Pilip criticized the bipartisan agreement, claiming it “legalizes the invasion” of the U.S. on the southern border.
Suozzi told reporters Sunday that if Republicans block the bipartisan agreement, “we will end up with more migrants coming to New York; And on top of that, they’ll have access to AR-15s.”
Pilip, a mother of seven who describes herself as “pro-life,” said she would not support a nationwide abortion ban and that every woman should be able to make her own decision. The court referred abortion law to the states .
She touted support from police leaders and the Border Patrol union, who also supported the Senate immigration and foreign aid deal.
Pilip is an Ethiopian-born former Israeli paratrooper and mother of seven children
The vote came just as a nor'easter storm hit New York with snow and threatened to impact voter turnout
The candidates may be more united in their stance on Israel. Both are actively involved in New York's Jewish community as Israel wages a war in Gaza following the October 7 Hamas terrorist attack.
Suozzi differentiated himself from some Democrats by announcing his support for the Republican-led standalone aid bill for Israel.
He said that while he would prefer a bipartisan package, he was committed to doing whatever it takes to stand with Israel. This bill failed in the House of Representatives.
Suozzi was particularly critical of Biden's age on the eve of the election.
“The bottom line is he’s old,” Suozzi told a local newscaster. “I know 81-year-olds who are in good shape and I know 81-year-olds who are not at their best. “He is old and there is no doubt about that.”
There is a debate about whether [Biden’s] “I’ll stick it out or I won’t,” he added.
When asked if he would support President Biden in the 2024 election, Suozzi was noncommittal, saying he would “probably” support the president but he would wait to see “what happens.”