New Democratic ad hit GOP candidate to replace George Santos as ‘hand-picked’ MAGA favorite

House Democrats debuted their first ad attacking Republican candidate Mazi Pilip in the fight to win the New York House seat vacated by former New York Republican Rep. George Santos last year.

The seven-figure ad will begin airing on Tuesday, seeking to paint Pilip as a “hand-picked candidate” by MAGA Republicans, specifically accusing the Republican candidate of wanting to cut spending on Social Security, law enforcement jobs, and veterans’ benefits. The 30-second video is the first in the multimillion-dollar ad campaign being launched by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee ahead of the special election next month.

BIDEN IS DEALING WITH THE WORST BORDER CRISIS EVER. SHOULD THE GOP HELP HIM?

“The MAGA Republican movement hand-picked their candidate for Congress, Mazi Pilip. And Pilip would join MAGA Republicans to pass an agenda that would hurt Nassau County and Queens,” the voice-over in the ad says. “Cuts to Social Security, forcing seniors to pay more and retire later. Cuts to law enforcement jobs, making our communities less safe. And deep cuts to our veterans’ benefits. Mazi Pilip — hand-picked by MAGA to support their agenda. Not ours.”

The ad specifically seeks to tie Pilip to House Republicans such as Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), as well as firebrand conservative Reps. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), and Matt Gaetz (R-FL).

The video also underscores how much money Democrats are willing to pour into the special election as the party seeks to flip control of the seat and cut away at Republicans’ already slim House majority. Whoever wins the special election will carry out the rest of Santos’s term and be put in a good position to be reelected later in the year as both parties battle for control of the House.

Other Democratic groups are also vowing to get involved with the election, which will take place in a toss-up district. 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.”

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE FROM THE WASHINGTON EXAMINER

Pilip will face off against Democratic candidate Tom Suozzi, who held the seat before resigning in 2022 to run for New York governor. He later lost to Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) in the Democratic primary.

The special election comes after Santos, a Republican, was expelled from the House in a 311-114 vote, marking only the sixth time a lawmaker has been ousted from the lower chamber. The election is scheduled for Feb. 13.