Democrats flip George Santos' House seat: 6 takeaways as Tom Suozzi wins hotly contested NY special election

Timeline of events following Republican George Santos’ expulsion from House of Representatives

Tom Suozzi, a former three-term congressman, emerged victorious against Republican newcomer Mazi Pilip in a nail-biting House special election to replace disgraced former congressman George Santos on Tuesday, February 13. The former Long Island Democrat clinched the crucial 3rd Congressional District of New York, which is deemed to be a wealthy and conservative-minded electorate, thereby shrinking the GOP’s majority in the House to only six seats. George Santos, a first-term Republican, was expelled from the US House of Representatives by a 311-114 vote on December 1 last year, becoming only the sixth US representative to be ousted from Congress's lower chamber.

1. Events leading up to George Santos’ expulsion from Congress last year

The former New York Republican, George Santos, was found to have knowingly pushed his campaign committee to file false or incomplete reports with the Federal Election Commission, engaged in fraudulent conduct, and violated the Ethics in Government Act. The House Ethics Committee accused Santos of misusing campaign funds for personal purposes, including buying Botox injections, OnlyFans subscriptions, and luxury products from Sephora and Hermès. The November 16 House Ethics report investigating Rep Santos’s conduct found, "At nearly every opportunity, he placed his desire for private gain above his duty to uphold the Constitution, federal law, and ethical principles."

2. George Santos turns to Cameo to capitilize on his notoriety

The 35-year-old, following his expulsion, joined the video-sharing platform Cameo, which allows users to pay for a personalized videotaped message from celebrities and social media influencers. Santos initially charged $75 for a customized video message, and as his popularity on the platform saw a rapid increase, the disgraced Republican charged up to $200 per message.

3. Democrat Tom Suozzi was first to put his hand up for Santos’ vacant seat

Tom Suozzi, whom Santos replaced, made his intentions clear to contest the contentious seat by tweeting in early October last year, “Today I’m filing a committee to run for Congress in November 2024. The madness in Washington, DC, and the absurdity of George Santos remaining in the United States Congress is obvious to everyone.”

4. Mazi Pilip aimed at restoring Republican party’s credibility to electorate

An Ethiopian-born former Israeli Defense Force paratrooper, Pilip attacked her rival on national issues such as border security, abortion, the economy, and the Israel-Hamas conflict. The 3rd Congressional District of New York spans the New York borough of Queens and Nassau County in Long Island, and it is estimated that approximately 11% of the voting population within the district are of Jewish descent. The ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict elicited strong emotions within the district, with both candidates pledging unwavering support for the United States' ally. Notably, the electorate seemed eager to move on from their scandalous and federally-indicted representative, George Santos.

5. Suozzi wooed conservative-minded voters by citing his experience

Tom Suozzi, a seasoned public speaker and debater, directed his attack toward the Republican newcomer's lack of experience, questioning her administrative capabilities if she ultimately ended up in Washington. The 61-year-old, having held elected office in the district for much of the past three decades, is a well-known figure among voters in the district. In 1993, he was elected the mayor of Glen Cove, a city located on Long Island's North Shore, and as Nassau County’s elected executive from 2002 to 2009. In his final attempt to sway voters, Suozzi likened Pilip to 'George Santos 2.0' at a Plainview campaign rally on Sunday.

6. A closely contested House special election sees Suozzi come on top

Tom Suozzi emerged victorious on Tuesday night after a closely contested election against his opponent Mazi Pilip. According to CBS News, with 87% of the estimated votes counted, Suozzi secured 54% of the vote, while Pilip trailed behind with 45%. Suozzi said during his victory speech to supporters, “We won this campaign because of the people of Queens and Long Island.” Pilip mentioned in her concession speech that she called her opponent to congratulate him, and addressed her supporters by saying, “We will continue to fight. We will bring common-sense government, I promise you.”