Democrat Tom Suozzi won a special election for a U.S. House seat in New York on Tuesday, emerging victorious in a politically mixed suburban district in a victory that could revive his party’s hopes for a fiercely contested presidential election later the end of the year.
Suozzi defeated Republican Mazi Pilip to take the seat left vacant when George Santos, also a Republican, was expelled from Congress. The victory marks the return to Washington for Suozzi, who represented the district for three terms before giving up to run unsuccessfully for governor.
It’s unclear how long his next stint on Capitol Hill will last, as a redistricting process is underway that could reshape the district. But for now the result narrows the already slim Republican majority in the House. And it provides Democrats with a much-needed victory in New York City’s Long Island suburbs, where the GOP has shown surprising strength in recent elections.
Pilip conceded the bid and said she congratulated Suozzi in a phone call Tuesday evening.
“Yes, we lost, but that doesn’t mean we’re going to end up here,” Pilip told supporters at his election watch party.
Suozzi’s victory will likely reassure Democrats that they can perform well in suburban communities across the nation, which will be critical to the party’s efforts to regain control of the U.S. House and reelect President Joe Biden.
However, forecasts for November could be complicated as turnout, already expected to be low given the shortened race, was potentially hampered by a storm that dumped several inches of snow on the precinct on Election Day. Both campaigns offered voters free rides to the polls as plows cleared wet slush from the streets.
On the campaign trail, Suozzi, a centrist politician, leaned on some of the same issues that Republicans have used to target Democrats, calling for tougher border policies in the United States and a rollback of New York laws that have made difficult for judges to detain criminal suspects awaiting trial.
His victory will likely reassure Democrats that they can perform well in suburban communities across the nation, which will be critical to the party’s efforts to regain control of the U.S. House and reelect President Joe Biden.
However, forecasts for November could be complicated as turnout, already expected to be low given the shortened race, was potentially hampered by a storm that dumped several inches of snow on the precinct on Election Day. Both campaigns offered voters free rides to the polls as plows cleared wet slush from the streets.
In the short term, the result could be a factor in very close votes in the House, where Republicans only hold a 219-212 majority. In a sign of how important one seat can be, House Republicans voted Tuesday night to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas by a single vote, punishing the Biden administration for its border policies.
The unusual mid-winter elections were necessary after Santos was ousted by his colleagues in December, during his first term.
Santos won office in what had been a reliably Democratic district, in part by falsely portraying himself as an American success story: a son of working-class immigrants who turned into a wealthy Wall Street dealmaker. But many elements of Santos’ life story were later exposed as fabrications, and he was indicted on multiple charges, including allegations that he stole money from Republican donors. He has pleaded not guilty.
With no time for a primary before the special election, Democrats nominated Suozzi, a centrist politician well known to voters in the district.
Republican leaders turned to Pilip, a relatively unknown candidate with a unique personal background.
Born in Ethiopia, Pilip was part of a community of 14,500 Black Orthodox Jews who were flown to Israel to escape civil war and famine in 1991. She was 12 years old at the time. Pilip then served in the Israel Defense Forces, then moved to the United States after marrying a Ukrainian-American doctor in 2005. She became a U.S. citizen in 2009 and was elected to the Nassau County Legislature in 2021.
The brief campaign was dominated by issues — abortion, immigration and crime — that are expected to determine crucial suburban races nationwide in this year’s battle for control of Congress.
Despite being an international migrant herself, Pilip hammered Suozzi over the influx of asylum seekers into New York City, accusing Democrats and Biden of failing to secure the U.S. southern border.
In response, Suozzi spent much of the campaign talking about the need to strengthen border policy, highlighting times when he clashed with his own party over the issue while in Congress. In the final stretch, Suozzi said he would support a temporary border closure to slow the number of arrivals, similar to Biden’s comments.
Suozzi counterattacked Pilip on abortion, saying she can’t be trusted to protect abortion rights in places like New York where it remains legal.
Pilip said she is personally against abortion, but that she would not force her beliefs on others and would oppose any attempt by Congress to impose a nationwide ban. She also said that mifepristone, an abortifacient drug, should be available nationwide.
Both candidates have expressed unwavering support for Israel in its conflict with Hamas, even appearing side by side in an unusual joint event intended to convey solidarity.
At a polling place on Long Island, 59-year-old Eliezer Sarrias said he voted for Suozzi because the former congressman seemed better able to work with the opposing party to reach agreements and end congressional gridlock.
“Voters elect our officials to do a certain job, and we’ve had a really stagnant congressional year,” Sarrias said after voting at a middle school in Levittown. “Even with migrants now, we had a bipartisan agreement in Congress and all of a sudden it evaporated, like, why? Do we really have to wait for another president to come along, or are the issues that are pressing everyone right now not important?”
Democrats and Republicans will once again have a chance to compete for congressional seats in November’s general election, though the battleground may look different.
That’s because the state’s congressional districts will be redrawn again in the coming months due to a court order. Democrats, who dominate state government, are expected to try to craft more favorable lines for their candidates.
New York is expected to play a huge role in determining control of Congress this year, with competitive races in multiple races in the suburban and exurban rings around New York City.