Several prominent Republicans are lending their support to one of Rep. George Santos's (R-NY) primary challengers as the freshman lawmaker seeks a second term amid a slew of scandals and controversy.
A number of former lawmakers are scheduled to headline a fundraiser with Republican candidate Kellen Curry in Washington, D.C., next month, giving a boost to the GOP challenger as he seeks to oust Santos in the GOP primary next year. Among those hosting the fundraiser is Tom Price, who served as the secretary of health and human services during the Trump administration.
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"It's no secret that our current congressman is toxic and busy defending himself instead of serving New York," Curry told the Washington Examiner. "I'm running to restore the constituency services that have gone missing, defend our national security, and offer real solutions to help our veterans and middle-class families deal with inflation and the high cost of living on Long Island. I'm not wasting any time in building the relationships in D.C. that will help me deliver results for NY-3."
Price will be joined by several other ex-lawmakers, including former Reps. Lamar Smith, Philip English, and John Shimkus, according to event details confirmed by the Washington Examiner.
Curry launched his bid in April, making him the first primary challenger to Santos, who announced his reelection campaign just two weeks later. Only one other Republican has announced a challenge to Santos: Philip Grillo, a Queens resident who was charged for his involvement during the Jan. 6 Capitol riot.
The 3rd Congressional District seat held by Santos is one of the Democrats' top targets in the 2024 cycle, especially as it is slated to be one of the most competitive elections next year. The seat is expected to lean Democratic, putting Santos at a disadvantage if he advances out of the GOP primary to the general election.
Since being sworn into office at the beginning of this year, Santos has been at the center of controversy after the freshman lawmaker acknowledged he had embellished several elements of his life story while on the campaign trail. Among the statements that have come under scrutiny are Santos's claims of Jewish heritage and that his mother died during the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
Santos also finds himself in possible legal trouble, having been indicted by the Justice Department in May on 13 counts of wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds, and lying to Congress. Santos has pleaded not guilty to the charges and dismissed the allegations as politically motivated.
House Democrats sought to oust Santos from office through an expulsion vote in mid-May, but that effort failed after House Republicans put forward a motion to refer the matter to the Ethics Committee, which needed only a simple majority to pass. No Republicans voted against the motion, securing the majority vote needed to advance the measure.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) said the matter would be referred to the Ethics Committee for a 60-day review, which expired before Congress adjourned for its annual August recess. It remains unclear whether lawmakers will move forward with another effort to remove him from office.
Despite surviving an expulsion, several Republicans have called on Santos to resign over the last few months. That list includes fellow New York freshmen who flipped several seats in the midterm elections that were key to Republicans winning the House majority: Reps. Anthony D'Esposito (R-NY), Brandon Williams (R-NY), Nick LaLota (R-NY), Nick Langworthy (R-NY), Mike Lawler (R-NY), and Marc Molinaro (R-NY).
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Santos has repeatedly denounced efforts to remove him from office, accusing Democrats of shifting their focus from must-pass legislation making its way through Congress.
"Democrats on the other side of the aisle have completely lost focus on the work they should be doing," Santos said in a statement last month. "My record proves that my office is hard at work, serving constituents and crafting keen legislation."