December 11, 2023
On Thursday, December 7, New York Democrats nominated former Representative Tom Suozzi (D-New York) to fill the seat vacated by former Representative George Santos‘ expulsion, reports Axios.
The seat in New York’s third congressional district is a top target for House Democrats, who believe Suozzi is a formidable candidate.
“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,” chair of the state’s Democratic Party Jay Jacobs and Queens County Democratic chair Representative Gregory Meeks (D-New York) said in a joint statement.
The special election to fill the House seat will take place on February 13, 2024, New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D) announced last week.
Multiple candidates from both parties have announced bids for Santos’ seat in 2024. But nominees for the special election will be chosen by their respective local party committees. It’s not yet clear who Republicans will pick to challenge Suozzi.
Suozzi launched a comeback bid in October, announcing he would run to get his old seat back. Suozzi beat Santos by nearly 13 points in 2020 before retiring from Congress to unsuccessfully challenge Hochul in the 2022 governor’s race.
He represented New York’s third congressional district from 2017 to 2023.
Research contact: @axios
