From the heart of WASHINGTON — The Democratic Party is gearing up to chip away at the slim majority held by Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives. This will be attempted in a special election scheduled for Tuesday in New York, which aims to fill the void left by the removal of Republican George Santos from the chamber.
The contenders for the seat, which represents a small section of New York City and some of its eastern suburbs, are Mazi Melesa Pilip and Tom Suozzi. Pilip, an Ethiopian-born Republican county legislator with a background in the Israeli military, is up against Suozzi, a seasoned Democrat who has previously served as a congressman, county executive, and mayor.
The Republicans currently hold a slim and somewhat chaotic 219-212 majority in the House, a situation that has proven challenging to manage. This was evident last week when the chamber failed to pass a measure to impeach President Joe Biden’s top border official, Alejandro Mayorkas, falling short by a single vote. The House is set to vote on this measure again, hoping that the return of Steve Scalise, the No. 2 Republican, from cancer treatment will tip the scales in their favor.
Santos was ousted from the House following a historic vote after serving for nearly 11 months. His colleagues voted him out due to criminal corruption charges and allegations of misusing campaign funds.
Early voting for this race kicked off on Feb. 3. Despite the district’s support for Biden in the 2020 election, Republicans in the New York area are known for their strong turnout operation and have previously won several congressional seats in the region.
However, a major winter storm forecasted for the region could potentially impact voter turnout on Tuesday.
Immigration has emerged as a key issue in this election, mirroring the national sentiment ahead of the anticipated rematch between Biden and former President Donald Trump in November.
Pilip has consistently criticized Suozzi and the Democratic Party for their handling of the southern border with Mexico. She has received endorsement from a labor union representing Border Patrol officers.
In a Facebook post, Pilip stated, “I kept migrants from being sent to Nassau and will secure the border when I get to Congress,” referring to Nassau County.
On the other hand, Suozzi has dismissed Pilip’s attacks as misleading and criticized her for lacking specific plans to address border security. He has highlighted his own bipartisan immigration compromise and condemned Republicans for rejecting a bipartisan border security deal negotiated in the Senate, which fell apart after Trump urged Republicans to reject it.
During the election’s only debate, Suozzi said, “Ms. Pilip points out there’s a problem, there’s a problem, there’s a problem. She has no solutions.”
Neither of the candidates’ campaigns responded to requests for comment.
Lawrence Levy, the executive dean at Hofstra University’s National Center for Suburban Studies, believes that the special election could significantly influence both parties’ strategies in the suburbs in the run-up to the November elections.
“This race could be a bellwether for swing suburban districts around the country that are going to decide who controls the gavels of Congress,” he said.
#Agree – It’s time for the Democrats to step up and make a difference in restoring the balance of power in the US House!
Disagree – I believe the Republican majority should be maintained for a balanced representation in the US House.