Race is set: New York Republicans tap nominee to replace George Santos

Nassau County Republicans in New York have chosen their nominee to replace former Rep. George Santos, setting the stage for what is expected to be a competitive special election that could shift the balance of power in the House next year.

Republicans are poised to tap state legislator Mazi Melesa Pilip for the nomination, according to reports, pitting her against former Rep. Tom Suozzi who is vying to reclaim his old House seat. The Nassau County GOP is expected to announce her nomination as early as Friday.

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Although Pilip has some legislative experience in the county, she faces an uphill battle facing Suozzi, who has widespread name recognition in the district and the backing of national Democrats who have vowed to pour thousands of dollars into the race. Meanwhile, Pilip has little experience with fundraising and has never run for such a high-profile seat.

Pilip also could face scrutiny while running as the Republican nominee after Politico reported that the GOP legislator has enrolled as a Democrat in the state since 2012.

However, local Republican leaders view Pilip as a rising star in the party after she was elected in 2021 on a platform largely focused on battling antisemitism and supporting Israel.

The special election comes after Santos, a Republican, was expelled from the House earlier this month in a 311-114 vote, marking only the sixth time a lawmaker has been ousted from the lower chamber. The special election is scheduled for Feb. 13, 2024. Whoever wins will carry out the rest of Santos’s term and will be put in a good position to be reelected later in the year.

State law mandated Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) to schedule a special election less than 10 days after Santos’s removal, with the election itself happening within 70-80 days of the seat becoming vacant.

The race is expected to draw a lot of attention as Democrats aim to flip the seat and narrow the GOP’s already-slim majority. Both parties and their respective candidate committees are already looking at the race and how it will play a role in possibly shifting the balance of power for the remainder of this Congress.

“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),” NRCC Spokeswoman Savannah Viar said in a statement. “Voters will reject Suozzi just like they did in his failed bid for governor last year.”

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Democratic groups are also vowing to play a heavy hand in the election. The House Majority PAC, a super PAC dedicated to electing Democrats to the lower chamber, said it plans to “play a significant role” in the special election and “will do whatever it takes to flip this district blue.”

The nonpartisan Cook Political Report rated the race as a toss-up.