Republican Candidate Switches Party Affiliation to Democrat to Replace Santos
According to Politico , one of the leading contenders to replace former Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., has been registered as a Democrat since 2012, despite currently holding office as a Republican.
Mazi Melesa Pilip, an Ethiopian Jewish refugee and former Israeli Defense Force member, is one of the GOP’s top picks for the seat, as reported by Jewish Insider. She was elected to the Nassau County Legislature twice, in 2021 and 2023, while running as a Republican.
Politico recently uncovered public records showing that Pilip has been enrolled as a Democrat for the past 10 years, a fact which was confirmed by the Nassau County Board of Elections.
Despite her Democratic enrollment, Politico noted that as a legislator, Pilip has supported several issues popular among Republicans, such as lower property taxes and increased support for law enforcement. She is also known for her strong support of Israel, having served in the IDF as a paratrooper.
Neither Pilip nor Nassau County GOP Chair Joe Cairo responded to Politico’s request for comment.
In a previous statement to Politico Playbook, Pilip acknowledged that the chairman of the Nassau County Republican Party would make the decision about the GOP nominee, and expressed willingness to consider running if asked.
Theodore Bunker | editorial.bunker@newsmax.com
Theodore Bunker, a Newsmax writer, has more than a decade covering news, media, and politics.
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