Democrats picked up the seat left open by former Representative George Santos (R-NY) after he was expelled in dramatic fashion last December.
Former Representative Tom Suozzi (D) won back the seat he used to occupy in the House.
He defeated Republican Mazi Pilip by about ten percent in a special election that was regarded as a bellwether for Democrats looking to take back control of the House in November.
The district is one of five in New York that voted for Biden in 2020 but chose a Republican in the 2022 midterms.
Republicans attempted to pin Suozzi with the unpopular policies of President Joe Biden, but they were ultimately unsuccessful as Suozzi sold himself as a moderate willing to work across the aisle.
With his election, the already razor-thin Republican majority in the House is down to 219-213. For a chamber that is already struggling to advance legislation, the loss of another seat is a harsh blow.
Suozzi will once again seek a full term in the district in November.
Immigration, Abortion Top Issues
Voters in the district named immigration and abortion most commonly among their top issues, which both parties jumped on to distinguish their candidates.
Even the city’s Democrat mayor has spoken out against the influx of illegal immigrants, criticizing the Biden administration for not doing more to control the border.
“This influx of asylum seekers is a serious crisis, one that New York City is facing largely on our own. It’s unfair and it’s not right that New York is going through this,” Adams said, saying the city has spent over $1.2 billion on the crisis so far.
Suozzi voiced support for the bipartisan border bill that ultimately failed to pass while Pilip opposed it.
But Suozzi’s portrayal of himself as a moderate willing to work on bipartisan legislation ultimately paid off.
“He has the values that I have — to get things done but to take into consideration the people who are in need. And he represents the majority of the middle class,” said voter Jeanne DeChiaro.
Lost 1 seat to maintain Control of House
This makes me absolutely fighting mad that Republicans would be lazy and allow a Democrat to take back a seat! We the People have our hands tied, we can only sit back and watch the Rino and uniparty Republicans F&@k the American people ! I don’t know if we can do it, but the Rino’s and Uniparty will be “primary” or voted out of office !
How stupid are the average New York voters, the democrats will do nothing about illegal immigration and the women right to murder their unborn will end up destroying our country, once it falls what do they think will take it’s place?