new York
Tom Suozzi replaces George Santos in the House of Representatives – the Republican majority is melting
Former U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi at his party after the special election for the House seat
© Stefan Jeremiah / AP / DPA
After George Santos was expelled from the House of Representatives, the successor is in place: Democrat Tom Suozzi now occupies the seat in New York. This means the Republicans lose one vote in the House of Representatives.
Republican George Santos was only the sixth representative in US history House of Representatives was banned. At the beginning of December, his fellow MPs threw him out of parliament – now his successor was elected. And the seat for the state of New York is occupied by Democrat Tom Suozzi. With more than 91 percent of the vote, he received 53.9 percent in the election for the seat in the House of Representatives, as the US broadcaster CNN reports. His competitor, Mazi Pilip from the Republicans, achieved 46.1 percent.
The exact result of the by-election in Long Island has not yet been published. Voter turnout was affected by a severe snowstorm. The victorious Suozzi had previously served in the House of Representatives, but gave up his seat to run for governor of New York State in 2022. However, he failed.
Tom Suozzi only temporarily in the House of Representatives
On election night, Suozzi was relieved to have won despite his opponents’ “dirty tricks.” The Republicans had accused him of being too soft on migration policy. President Joe Biden’s Democratic Party had provided massive financial support for Suozzi’s candidacy.
With the Democrats gaining a seat in the House of Representatives, one of the two chambers of the US Congress, the balance of power between the two parties is shifting slightly. Before this election, the Republicans had 219 seats and the Democrats 212, according to the website of the US House of Representatives. The situation is different in the second chamber, the Senate, where the Democrats have a narrow majority. However, Suozzi will only hold his mandate until the end of the year. Parallel to the presidential election on November 5th, congressional elections will also take place in which the entire House of Representatives and parts of the Senate will be re-elected.
George Santos flew because he lied
Until his expulsion at the beginning of December 2023, 35-year-old Santos sat as a member of a New York district in the US House of Representatives for a good year and presented himself as a supporter of former US President Donald Trump. His rise to the federal political stage was overshadowed from the start by allegations of fraud and deception. He is said to have invented a large part of the resume with which he presented himself to voters in 2022.
His expulsion followed an investigation by the House Ethics Committee. During the parliamentary debate before the vote, the New York MP was sharply attacked by party colleagues. “You’re a crook,” said Republican Rep. Max Miller. Republican Marc Molinaro said Santos was “disconnected from reality. He made up his whole life.” Rep. Anthony D’Esposito called Santos a “liar.”
At the beginning of November, an application to have Santos expelled failed. The ethics committee’s investigation report has now caused many MPs to change their attitude.
The report, published in mid-November, said there was “sufficient evidence” that Santos violated criminal law and other rules. “Representative Santos has fraudulently attempted to exploit every aspect of his candidacy for the House of Representatives for his own personal financial gain.”
Santos “brazenly” “stole” from his campaign coffers. The politician with Brazilian roots is said to have spent, among other things, campaign funds on the purchase of luxury items from the fashion house Hermès, on visits to casinos, weekend trips, Botox treatments and the OnlyFans online platform, which is known for erotic photos and videos.
First expulsion of a representative in modern history
In May, Santos was indicted by the federal judiciary on charges including fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds and making false statements to the House of Representatives. In October, the charges were expanded to include identity theft in connection with the theft of campaign funds. The deputy pleaded not guilty in court.
Santos has always rejected calls for his resignation. After the ethics committee’s investigation report was published, he announced that he would not run again in the congressional elections in November 2024. The day before his expulsion, the 35-year-old said in a combative press conference that he was the victim of “bullying” by other MPs.