(New York) Voters in eastern New York will find out Tuesday evening whether the House seat of George Santos, expelled from Congress for repeated lies, remains in the hands of the Republican Party or goes to the Democrats, at nine months of the presidential election.
This by-election to end Mr. Santos’ term until January – after his expulsion from the chamber in December – has national resonance since the Republican majority there is very thin.
In the New York district which includes part of the borough of Queens and Nassau County on the Long Island peninsula, Democrat Tom Suozzi faces Republican Mazi Pilip.
Many voters have already voted in recent days, but a snowstorm which paralyzes New York and its suburbs on Tuesday risks lowering participation. Tom Suozzi’s campaign team offered residents who were stuck at home a ride to the polling stations.
“There is a good chance that Tom Suozzi will win […]but it’s a complicated election,” said Democratic consultant Amit Bagga.
Replicating the campaign themes of the upcoming November presidential election between former President Donald Trump and his successor Joe Biden, Mr.me Pilip and Mr. Suozzi argued over immigration and abortion.
PHOTO ADAM D GRAY, REUTERS
Republican Mazi Pilip
Mazi Pilip has a unique background: Orthodox Jew, mother of seven children, she was born in Ethiopia in 1978 or 1979, before emigrating to Israel in 1991, serving in the armed forces of the Hebrew State then emigrating to the United States and acquire its nationality.
His opponent Tom Suozzi, 61, was the representative of this third district of New York before the election of George Santos in November 2022.
A young Republican elected official, George Santos distinguished himself by his repeated lies and was indicted for financial crimes, before being impeached by Congress on 1er December.
PHOTO MATT ROURKE, GASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVES
A young Republican elected official, George Santos distinguished himself by his repeated lies and was indicted for financial crimes, before being impeached by Congress on 1er December.
A hundred Republicans and more than 200 Democrats voted to oust the thirty-year-old from the House of Representatives, where such a sanction has only been used five times in its history.
Following revelations from New York Times, George Santos had to admit to having lied about entire parts of his life to embellish his CV. He had in fact never worked for the American banks Goldman Sachs or Citigroup or held a degree from New York University (NYU).
He was also charged with defrauding his donors as well as money laundering and fraud, charges to which he pleaded not guilty.