Former New York Rep. George Santos’s seat has officially been filled by Democrat Tom Suozzi. Santos was previously expelled from the House of Representatives by his peers in early December, following a lengthy investigation from the Ethics Committee.
The investigation found that during his campaign and service as a Representative, Santos spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on luxury goods, botox, vacations and various other personal uses. The committee also discovered a number of Santos’s claims about his identity were falsified to get campaign donors.
Rep. Suozzi will once again represent the 3rd Congressional District which encompasses northwestern Staten Island. Rep. Suozzi was originally elected to represent the district in 2016, where he served three terms before his unsuccessful run for governor in 2022.
Rep. Suozzi defeated Republican opponent Mazi Melesa Pilip in the special election. Pilip has been a registered Democrat since 2012, but opted to run on the Republican ticket.
For both candidates and the constituents of the 3rd District, support for Israel was among the key issues. Rep. Suozzi and Pilip both highlighted their support of financial aid for Israel during their campaigns.
Additionally, Rep. Suozzi’s campaign highlighted a concern for bipartisanship in the legislature following the exit of his disgraced predecessor. The election in New York will likely set the tone for the general election this November.
In recent years, Republicans have gained traction in suburban communities, edging out several incumbent Democratic candidates. For Democrats, this win is an affirmation they can win suburban communities. For Republicans, this is perhaps a warning of what may be to come.
Trailing a rocky 2023 that saw the first ousting of a speaker in more than a century, and a months-long fight to replace him amidst a budget crisis, the House GOP has plenty to be worried about this November.
In Ohio, the new congressional district maps that faced several court challenges and may shake things up for the buckeye state. The university and the majority of Franklin County will continue to make up OH-03, a district that is currently represented by Joyce Beatty. Democrats currently lead the district by 20 points. The three surrounding districts, OH-15, OH-4 and OH-12, are currently held by Republicans.
In the North, former candidate for Speaker of the House Rep. Jim Jordan of OH-4 faces an easy road to reelection in a district that has been a stronghold for the GOP for more than 50 years. To the West, second-term congressman Jim Carrey faces a slightly less certain race in a district that voted for Obama in his first election. East of Rep. Beatty’s district in OH-12, Rep. Troy Balderson faces a race similar to Carrey’s, though he has the benefit of more experience.
To find a congressional district, or view the new congressional districts, students can visist the Secretary of State’s website.
