Democrats flipped George Santos’ former congressional seat tonight, narrowing Republicans’ House majority in a special election that got an unusual amount of attention from national media.
Thomas Suozzi, who formerly held the seat, defeated Republican Mazi Pilip, the Associated Press projected.
Some cable news networks covered the special election as a bellwether for the November election. Republicans elevated the issue of immigration and the border as the top concern in the race, something that they are doing at the national level. The district covers Queens and Nassau counties.
News network coverage of the results as if it were another night of the presidential primary. CNN dispatched correspondents to local precincts and carried live the results of the counting from individual ballot machines. MSNBC also provided comprehensive coverage with Steve Kornacki’s voter breakdown, and Fox News’ Hannity featured a box telling viewers that they were monitoring the results.
Santos, the former occupant of the seat, provided his own analysis on X/Twitter, writing “-1” after the race was called. Santos was expelled from the House in December after a devastating House Ethics Committee report on his campaign finances. He already had gained fame for his wild embellishments and lies about his resume and experience.
“This race was centered on immigration and the economy, much like the issues all across our country,” Suozzi told supporters. “We won this race, we, you won this race, because we addressed the issues and we found a way to bind our divisions.”
He added, “The answer is to bring people of good will together to find that common ground.”
With Suozzi’s election, Republicans will hold 219 seats and Democrats will have 213.
