George Santos walked the halls of Capitol Hill for less than a year as a congressman before his colleagues expelled him last December over allegations of fraud.
Voting is now under way to pick his successor in New York’s Third Congressional District, with the Republican and Democratic parties pouring millions of dollars into the race that ends on Tuesday.
Former Congressman Tom Suozzi is running as the Democrat and local official Mazi Pilip, a black American who served in the Israel Defence Forces, is the Republican candidate. The winner will represent parts of New York City and Long Island, and polls show the race is neck-and-neck.
Mr Santos’ antics may have dominated Washington for months, but voters in this district appear more focused on issues that will likely be a factor in the forthcoming presidential race – the Israel-Hamas war, immigration, and abortion. Both parties are now testing their political messaging in this swing district
With a razor-thin margin in the House of Representatives, Republicans are eager to win the race to more easily pass their legislative priorities before the election. Democrats, meanwhile, want to secure the seat to help their growing coalition and to gain traction before November.
Following the 7 October Hamas attacks, both parties have vowed to back Israel. But in this district, which boasts a large Jewish population, that support could prove crucial to winning the special election.
