Former Long Island Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi will return to Washington, DC, after winning the nail-biting race to replace expelled ex-Rep. George Santos in New York’s 3rd Congressional District.
Suozzi, 61, cinched the votes needed to beat his Republican candidate rival, Mazi Pilip, 47, in Tuesday’s special House election.
The political veteran, who represented a large swath of the current district for six years, spent much of the campaign sparring with Pilip over abortion and border security .
In a last-ditch dig on Sunday, Suozzi had painted his opponent as “George Santos 2.0.”
“I’m sick and tired of what’s happening in Washington, DC,” he declared as he wooed voters during a “get out the vote” rally in Plainview on Sunday.
Meanwhile, throughout the tight race, Suozzi walked the fine line of positioning himself as a loyal Democrat — while also managing to keep his party’s brand partly at bay after the wealthy and conservative district Santos, a Republican, an 8-point victory in 2022.