NEW YORK (PIX11) – The race to fill the U.S. House seat vacated by George Santos is heating up as the special election draws near in New York’s 3rd Congressional District.
Republican nominee Mazi Pilip and Democratic nominee Tom Suozzi are vying to replace Santos, who was expelled from Congress in December after a House ethics report found evidence of lawbreaking.
New York’s 3rd Congressional District includes parts of Long Island and a small section of Queens. The special election will be held on Feb. 13, with early voting beginning Feb. 3.
A recent poll showed that the race between the two candidates is tight. Suozzi led Pilip 45% to 42% in the PIX11/Emerson College Polling survey released on Jan. 18.
Pilip is a Nassau County legislator who represents Great Neck, Manhasset and Herricks. She was born in Ethiopia, lived in Israel, and served in the Israel Defense Forces.
Suozzi previously represented New York’s 3rd Congressional District in the U.S. House for six years from 2017-2023, but he gave up his seat to run for New York governor, losing to Hochul in the Democratic primary.
Pilip and Suozzi both sat down for an exclusive televised political forum, "PIX on Politics: Pilip vs. Suozzi – Replacing Santos," to face questions on a wide range of issues, including immigration, the economy, and congestion pricing.
Here are some key takeaways from the NY-3 special election forum on PIX11.
Watch Pilip's interview:
Watch Suozzi's interview:
Pilip won’t support Trump if he’s convicted of a crime
Pilip said during the forum she would not support former President Donald Trump if he is convicted of a crime before the presidential election in November.
“Nobody is above the law,” Pilip said. “If he is convicted of a crime, he cannot represent us. But unless we see that, right now, if he is the candidate, I will support him. He was a great candidate, a great president. He did great things for America. He improved our economy. He brought a lot of peace process in the Middle East. He was very strong on the international level.”
Pilip’s comments are a notable break from many Republicans who have dismissed the multiple criminal cases against Trump as a “witch hunt.”
Pilip doesn’t support a national abortion ban
Pilip said that she does not support a national ban on abortions. She explained that she believes abortion should be a personal choice.
“As a mother of seven children, as a woman, I think abortion is a personal decision, a personal choice. Every woman should make that decision,” Pilip said. “I decided to have seven children. I made that decision. I’m not going to force my own beliefs, my own faith on any woman. Therefore, I’m not going to support a national abortion ban and I’m not going to risk women’s health care.”
The issue of a national abortion ban has divided some members of the Republican Party. Trump, the front-runner to win the 2024 Republican presidential nomination, has also refused to endorse a federal ban on abortions.
Pilip is not in favor of automatic weapons
Pilip said she supports the Second Amendment, but she is not in favor of automatic weapons and wants the government to ensure certain gun control measures are being followed.
“That’s not the one we need,” Pilip said of automatic weapons. “I know how important it is to have those guns for self-defense, but at the same time, I know how dangerous they can be. I would like to see that the federal government and the local government collaborate to work together to make sure that we are all following the regulations that are out there, whether it’s background checks, whether it’s a waiting period, whether it’s training that’s needed, we need to follow the rules and the regulation. We have them for a reason, and we have to make sure that guns don’t get in the wrong hands of people with mental issues, criminals, and terrorists.”
Pilip’s position on automatic weapons is another break from many Republicans in the party.
Suozzi says US needs to ‘secure the border’
Suozzi said that the U.S. needs to “secure the border” and he supports closing the U.S.-Mexico border, at least temporarily, to stop the flow of migrants coming into the country. Suozzi said federal lawmakers need to come together on a bipartisan solution to address the border crisis.
“We’ve had this border crisis for 35 years in America. It’s worse now than ever. It’s been 35 years since we’ve had a bipartisan agreement on the border,” Suozzi said. “Let’s make a deal. It can’t be my way or the highway. People have got to work together to solve these problems, and a bipartisan compromise is the only way to move forward.”
Closing the border — at least temporarily — is a notable position for Suozzi to hold as a Democrat.
Pilip also said the U.S. needs to secure the southern border, but she wants a wall to be built and more border control agents hired.
Immigration is the most important issue for voters in New York’s 3rd Congressional District ahead of the special election, according to the recent PIX11/Emerson College Polling survey.
Suozzi doesn’t support MTA's congestion pricing plans
Suozzi said he likes the idea of congestion pricing, but he doesn’t agree with a plan that fails to include protections for people who make less than $100,000 a year and have to drive into New York City every day for work.
“I’ve historically thought that congestion pricing was a good idea from an academic perspective. The idea that you could limit traffic by encouraging people to take mass transit and you could take the funds that were generated and invest it in the Long Island Rail Road, invest it in the subway system, invest it in other mass transit ideas,” Suozzi said. “The implementation is the big challenge. I don’t think you should be affecting people who are making $75,000 or $100,000 a year. They shouldn’t have to be burdened the same way.”
The MTA’s congestion pricing plan would charge cars a $15 toll to enter Manhattan below 60th Street. The plan does include a low-income discount program for drivers whose federal adjusted gross income is under $50,000 – but it falls short of what Suozzi advocated for in the forum.
Suozzi opposes capping aid to Israel, Ukraine
Suozzi said the U.S. should not put a cap on the amount of funding it gives to Israel and Ukraine in support of those countries' respective conflicts with Hamas and Russia.
“We don’t want to spend money on these endless wars or endless battles, we don’t want to be engaged in them forever, but we have to beat the bad actors,” Suozzi said.
Suozzi also said he’s among the “pro-Israel Democrats” who will “stand up to the far left” of the Democratic Party when it comes to policy differences regarding Israel.
Pilip said she also opposes putting a cap on foreign aid to Israel and Ukraine.
Sixty percent of voters in New York’s 3rd Congressional District support the U.S. giving aid to Israel, while 51% of voters support the U.S. giving aid to Ukraine, according to the PIX11/Emerson College Polling survey.
Finn Hoogensen is a digital journalist who has covered local news for more than five years. He has been with PIX11 News since 2022. See more of his work here.