New York Democrats have selected former Rep. Tom Suozzi to be their party’s nominee in the upcoming special election to replace former GOP Rep. George Santos.
Nassau County and Queens County leaders gathered on Thursday and voted for Suozzi, who was widely expected to emerge as the party’s nominee. He previously represented the competitive 3rd District, which is based on Long Island, before leaving Congress last year to wage an unsuccessful run for governor.
"Tom Suozzi has a proven record of fighting for his constituents, fighting to safeguard our suburban way of life here on Long Island and Queens and always advocating for sensible solutions to the real challenges affecting everyday average Americans," Nassau County Democratic Party chair Jay Jacobs and Rep. Gregory Meeks, the Queens County Democratic chairman, said in a joint statement.
It’s not yet clear which Republican will face Suozzi during the Feb. 13 special election to replace Santos, who was expelled from the House after a scathing Ethics Committee report that found Santos appeared to break multiple federal laws in his 2022 campaign.
The special election is expected to be hotly contested — Santos was one of 18 Republicans representing a district President Joe Biden won in 2020.
Republicans are expected to select their nominee early next week, according to Nassau County GOP spokesman Michael Deery. The Republican county party chairs will select a nominee, and party leaders have been interviewing more than 20 potential candidates this week.
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