NEW YORK (PIX11) – Democrat Tom Suozzi has won the special election in New York to fill the U.S. House seat vacated by George Santos.
Suozzi defeated Republican nominee Mazi Pilip in the race to represent New York’s 3rd Congressional District, which includes parts of Long Island and a small section of Queens.
It will be a return to Congress for Suozzi, who previously represented the 3rd Congressional District in the U.S. House of Representatives for six years from 2017-2023. He gave up his seat to run for New York governor, losing to Gov. Kathy Hochul in the Democratic primary.
Suozzi is replacing Santos, a Republican who was expelled from Congress in December after a House ethics report found evidence of lawbreaking.
Ahead of the special election, Suozzi and Pilip 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.
Immigration was the most important issue for voters in New York’s 3rd Congressional District ahead of the special election, according to a PIX11/Emerson College Polling survey.
Suozzi said that the U.S. needs to “secure the border.” 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.
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.