February 13th Set for Special Election to Fill George Santos’ Seat

A special election to pick a successor to Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., who was expelled from the House last week, will be held Feb. 13, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Tuesday.

The race for a seat representing some Long Island suburbs and a small part of the New York City borough of Queens is expected to be a high-profile contest that will mark the start of a year of consequential congressional elections in the state.

For Democrats, the election will be a test of the party’s ability to flip districts across New York City that are seen as vital to their plans to retake control of the House. Republicans enter the contest with heavy momentum on Long Island and will fight to hold on to the district as they look to maintain their narrow House majority.

Candidates in the special election will be picked by party leaders, not voters.

On the Republican side, potential names include retired police detective Mike Sapraicone, Air Force veteran Kellen Curry, and Nassau County legislator Mazi Pilip, an Ethiopian-born Jewish woman who served in the Israeli military.

Sapraicone, who is also the founder of a private security company, said he has been interviewed by county Republicans who will select the nominee, with the panel quizzing him on his political stances, his ability to fundraise and quickly launch a campaign.

Former Rep. Tom Suozzi has emerged as the potential front-runner nominee for Democrats. Suozzi, 61, represented the district for six years before launching an unsuccessful campaign for governor last year, and previously held political posts as a county executive and mayor on Long Island.

The centrist Democrat’s deep ties in Long Island politics might provide name recognition and the ability to quickly stand up a campaign — vital attributes in a narrowly focused election where voters will have a limited amount of time to pick their representative.

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Santos was expelled from the House last week following a scandal-filled tenure in Congress and a looming criminal trial. He is only the sixth member in the chamber’s history to be ousted by colleagues.