A special election to fill the congressional seat vacated by expelled former Rep. George Santos will take place on Feb. 13, 2024, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Tuesday.
Hochul set the date for the vote in New York’s Third Congressional District one day after calling her former challenger, ex-Rep. Tom Suozzi, to the governor’s mansion in Albany to bend the knee following his ill-fated primary bid last year.
“We had a good meeting and cleared the air, and I appreciate her making the time,” Suozzi said. “At a time of strong political division, I offered to be another moderate voice as the Governor works to solve problems and make progress.”
Suozzi repped the Queens and Nassau County district for six years before leaving to run against Hochul in the gubernatorial race, opening the way for Santos to upset Democrat Robert Zimmerman as part of a midterm red wave in the Empire State.
With Suozzi having sufficiently made amends to Hochul, Democrats will officially tap the former congressman to run to reclaim his former seat.
“We both agree that the people of Nassau and Queens face big challenges and we need Congress to stop with the shenanigans and work together and fix these problems,” Suozzi added Tuesday.
According to the New York Times, which first reported on the meeting, Hochul demanded that Suozzi voice full support of abortion rights — an area where he showed vulnerability in the gubernatorial primary — and agree not to run ads critical of other Democrats.
“Following the meeting in Albany, where Tom made critical assurances about fighting for abortion rights and running a winning campaign that benefits all Democrats, the Governor will allow his nomination to move forward,” Hochul campaign spokesperson Brian Lenzmeier said.
Republicans have yet to settle on their candidate for the special election. The shortlist of potential GOP candidates include Mazi Pilip, a Nassau County legislator and former member of the Israel Defense Forces as well as Mike Sapraicone, a former New York Police Department detective.
Hochul’s announcement sets up what could be one of the more competitive special elections in recent years, with Democrats hoping to narrow Republicans’ majority in the House.
Currently, the lower chamber of Congress holds 221 Republicans and 213 Democrats after last week’s vote to expel Santos — who faces nearly two dozen federal charges including money laundering, wire fraud and theft of public funds.