Tom Suozzi campaign launch to win back key New York House seat is plagued by technical issues

Former Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY) made his first public remarks since being tapped as the Democratic nominee for the House seat vacated by George Santos earlier this month, but the event was largely overshadowed by technical difficulties that silenced most of his speech for voters who sought to tune in virtually.

Flanked by a number of supporters and union workers holding signs that read “Suozzi. Let’s Fix This!” Suozzi gave his first speech since winning the party nomination to run in the high-profile special election that could bring a shift in the balance of power in the lower chamber. However, as the event began around noon on Saturday, the livestream video began to play without audio — resulting in a majority of the 10-minute event being left unheard on social media.

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During the event, Suozzi sought to paint himself as the best choice to replace Santos in the House, pointing to his previous experience in Congress as evidence of his experience. Suozzi previously represented New York’s 3rd Congressional District before stepping down to run for governor in 2022, later losing to Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY). Due to his absence in the race, Santos flipped the seat during the 2022 midterm elections, helping to secure the House majority for Republicans.

Now, Suozzi is looking for a way back in — lamenting the chaotic nature of the lower chamber that has ensued since his departure.

“In my campaign, I’m looking at Washington, D.C., and I’m saying, ‘Hey, something’s not working in Washington, and I was only left a year ago,” Suozzi said. “Even though I saw the division when I was there, it’s gotten worse. It’s scary. And I see so many people that are so fed up with the system.”

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Nassau County and Queens County Democratic leaders announced Suozzi as their desired nominee on Thursday, setting the stage for what is expected to be a high-profile and expensive special election. It is not yet clear who Suozzi will face in the special election as Republicans have not yet picked their nominee, but the former representative is likely to benefit from his widespread name recognition after representing the district for three terms.

The special election comes after Santos, a Republican, was expelled from the House last week 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.