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Expelled from Congress, George Santos will run again in neighboring NY district
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Mar 8, 2024
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By
Brittany Kriegstein
Published Mar 8, 2024
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He fabricated much of his own biography, was expelled from the House of Representatives and is facing federal criminal charges.
But George Santos decided it’s a good time to run for Congress – again.
The Republican made the announcement on X during President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address.
“After a lot of prayer and conversation with my friends and family, I have made a very important decision that will shake things up,” Santos wrote, after calling Biden a “weak, frail president” who had delivered “spin and lies to the American people.”
Santos said he will be challenging fellow Republican Nick LaLota for control of New York’s Congressional District 1, which includes the Long Island towns of Huntington, Smithtown, Riverhead, Southold, Southampton, East Hampton, and Shelter Island.
It’s right next door to the district from which he was formally expelled by his fellow members of Congress in a 311-114, bipartisan vote after a damning report from a House ethics subcommittee found “substantial evidence” of misconduct and illegal activity on top of the federal indictment. Santos’ expulsion led to a special election that resulted in Republicans losing the seat to veteran Democrat Tom Suozzi.
But Santos glossed over those details in his announcement, insisting he’d left office “arbitrarily” and taking aim at LaLota.
“He is a willing [sic] to risk the future of our majority and the future of this country for his own political gain,” Santos wrote. “I look forward to debating him on the issues and on his weak record as a Republican.”
LaLota, a vocal proponent of Santos’ expulsion from Congress last year, said in a statement that he welcomed the challenge.
“To raise the standard in Congress, and to hold a pathological liar who stole an election accountable, I led the charge to expel George Santos," LaLota said. "If finishing the job requires beating him in a primary, count me in.”
As of Friday morning, Santos’ website had not yet been updated to reflect his District 1 bid – instead asking prospective donors to “help us take back New York’s third district for the people.”
Tagged
new york city
George Santos
Politics
long island
Brittany Kriegstein
Brittany Kriegstein covers all breaking news around New York City, with a focus on crime and gun violence. Got a tip? Email Brittany at [email protected].
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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