Photo: Stephanie Keith Getty Images via Agence France-Presse Candidate-elect Tom Suozzi celebrates his victory in the legislative election for a seat in the New York State House of Representatives Tuesday evening in Woodbury.
Nicolas Revise – Agence France-Presse and Gregory Walton – Agence France-Presse in New York
February 14, 2024
- United States
President Joe Biden's Democratic Party won a seat in the House of Representatives in Washington on Tuesday evening, replacing a Republican expelled from Congress for serial lying in a New York district.
With this victory of centrist Democrat Tom Suozzi against Republican Mazi Pilip, according to CNN and NBC television projections, the Democrats are further chipping away at the very slim majority of Donald Trump's Republican Party in the House: so far 219 Republican seats against 212 Democrats and four vacant seats, nine months before the presidential and legislative elections to partially renew the Senate and the House.
In this New York constituency, which includes part of the borough of Queens and Nassau County on the Long Island peninsula, Tom Suozzi, who was already the representative there from 2016 to 2022, will replace Republican George Santos until the next November election.
“Thank goodness! “, exclaimed the winner from his suburban campaign stronghold while pro-Palestinian demonstrators shouting “genocide” briefly occupied the platform.
“Tricky Shots”
The 61-year-old elected official, an experienced politician, was delighted to have “won” despite a campaign of “twisted tricks” and “lies”, particularly on the migration crisis which has destabilized New York for almost two years.
Eric Adams, the strong-willed Democratic mayor of the megacity of 8.5 million souls – which has welcomed more than 165,000 migrants and asylum seekers from Latin America and the United States since April 2022. West Africa – hailed “good news for New York.”
Ms. Pilip said she conceded her victory by calling her competitor to congratulate him.
Mr. Suozzi may have benefited from low turnout this Tuesday due to a snowstorm which paralyzed the city and its surrounding areas and after many voters, particularly Democrats, had already voted in recent days.< /p>
Replicating the campaign themes of the upcoming presidential election between MM. Trump and Biden, Ms. Pilip and Mr. Suozzi argued over immigration and abortion.
Mazi Pilip has a unique background: Orthodox Jew, mother of seven children, she was born in Ethiopia in 1978 or 1979, before emigrating to Israel in 1991, serving in the armed forces of Jewish state then to emigrate to the United States and acquire nationality.
If the election had national resonance, it was also held after the historic expulsion from the House of Representatives of the outgoing Republican elected official from this New York constituency, George Santos.
The 30-year-old became famous for his repeated lies and was charged with financial crimes, before being impeached by Congress on December 1. About a hundred Republicans and more than 200 Democrats voted to oust him, such a sanction having been used only five times in the history of Congress.
Following revelations from the New York Times, George Santos had to admit to having lied about entire parts of his life to embellish his CV . He had in fact never worked for the American banks Goldman Sachs or Citigroup, nor had a degree from New York University (NYU).
He was also charged with defrauding his donors as well as money laundering and fraud, charges to which he pleaded not guilty.