LIVE RESULTS: New York special election to replace George Santos
House Republicans have been navigating a new year while missing a few key members, adding stress to an already narrow majority in the chamber.
Earlier this month, they fell short by a single vote on an effort to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for his handling of immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border, a high-profile promise they’ve touted for months. Three Republicans sided with Democrats, who said there was no merit to what they saw as a partisan response to Biden’s immigration policies. A subsequent vote to approve military aid to Israel also failed, with more Republicans joining Democrats in rejecting the measure.
It’s a situation Republican leadership has faced more often following the departures of former Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., who was expelled in a historic vote, and Rep. Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., who was ousted as House speaker and stepped down at the end of 2023.
WATCH: Senate advances Ukraine aid bill without border security and immigration reform
Voters in the districts they’ve left behind will now get a chance to pick new representation, starting with a Feb. 13 special election in New York.
Along with McCarthy and Santos’ vacancies, Republican Rep. Bill Johnson of Ohio retired Jan. 22 to take on a new role as the head of Youngstown State University. House Majority Leader Steve Scalise, R-La., was absent for several weeks as he recovered from a stem cell transplant, as was Rep. Hal Rogers of Kentucky after a hospitalization from a car accident.
On some days, that’s meant Speaker Mike Johnson has a very thin margin to pass legislation. As the House picks up business this week, Republicans have 219 members versus Democrats’ 212 as they consider issues from immigration and border security to funding for Ukraine.
WATCH: Former Speaker McCarthy gives farewell speech before stepping down from House
Here’s what to know about upcoming contests for the two open congressional seats.
Santos’ former seat
Santos — one of very few members ever expelled from Congress — was removed while facing allegations including wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds and making materially false statements to the House of Representatives.
He had represented New York’s 3rd Congressional District, which includes portions of Queens in New York City and Nassau County in Long Island.
When is the special election?
A special election has been scheduled for Feb. 13.
Why is the race for Santos’ seat important?
The race for Santos’ seat is expected to be competitive. The Cook Political Report has designated the upcoming election as a “toss-up ” that could affect the split in Congress.
As a special election, it will only determine who fills the district seat through the end of the year, but winning would give a candidate the advantage of being the incumbent heading into the 2024 general election.
READ MORE: Will the race to succeed George Santos in Congress be a bellweather?
This seat was one of four New York districts that flipped from Democrat to Republican in 2022 – contests that were crucial to the GOP’s majority in the House. Santos won by an 8-point margin in 2022.
One thing to watch
In December 2023, New York State Court of Appeals ruled that congressional maps must be redrawn, giving Democrats an opportunity to reshape several key districts won by Republicans in 2022. “It’s possible the lines in New York will be redrawn for November to make this district considerably bluer,”senior editor and elections analyst David Wasserman of Cook Political Report.
The New York redistricting commission has been tasked with submitting a map to the state Legislature, where the Democrats control both chambers, by Feb. 28. The new districts would kick in before November’s election.
Who are candidates in the New York race?
Mazi Pilip (Republican)
Mazi Melesa Pilip, a Nassau County legislator, was nominated by New York Republicans in December.
Born in Ethiopia, she immigrated to Israel and served in the Israeli military before moving to the United States with her husband. An ad released by the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee called Pilip a “hand-picked” candidate for Santos’ seat by the “MAGA Republican movement.”
Former Rep. Tom Suozzi (Democrat)
Pilip is set to face Democratic nominee former Rep. Tom Suozzi, who formerly represented this district in Congress from 2017-2023, and was picked to run again by party leaders. Suozzi gave up his seat to launch an unsuccessful campaign for governor in 2022. A former attorney and accountant, he also previously served as county executive for Nassau County and as the mayor of Glen Cove, New York.
McCarthy’s former seat
McCarthy announced his resignation at the beginning of December in a Wall Street Journal op-ed, two months after he became the first House speaker to be removed by his colleagues.
He had represented California’s 20th Congressional District, which includes the counties of Kern, Tulare, and Fresno in the state’s Central Valley.
When is the special election?
A special election primary is scheduled for March 19, and if no candidate wins a majority, a runoff election will take place May 21.
Why is the race for McCarthy’s seat important?
McCarthy served a reliably red district – the “safest Republican district” in the state, according to both Wasserman and Republican political strategist Rob Stutzman. That makes it unlikely that Democrats will be able to flip the seat; McCarthy had 67.2. percent of the vote when the Associated Press called the race in 2022. This district also voted for former President Donald Trump by 25 points in the 2020 election.
“There is a real possibility here that you can be looking at a Republican versus Republican runoff next November,” Stutzman said.
Who are candidates in the California race?
California’s secretary of state has listed nine candidates who will be on the March 19 ballot.
Some of the candidates include:
Vince Fong (Republican)
Vince Fong was elected to represent the 32nd Assembly District, which encompasses most of Kern County. His career began working under Rep. Bill Thomas, former chair of the Ways and Means Committee, on international trade policy. For nearly a decade, Fong served as McCarthy’s district director, managing public policy issues for the region.
Mike Boudreaux (Republican)
Mike Boudreaux is a 37-year veteran of the Tulare County Sheriff’s Office, and he has been sheriff since 2013. He is also the current president of the California State Sheriff’s Association.
Marisa Wood (Democrat)
Marisa Wood is a native of Danville, California, and has served the Bakersfield community as an English teacher and religious educator for more than 20 years. She ran against McCarthy in the 2022 congressional election and lost, with just under 33 percent of the vote.
Kyle Kirkland (Republican)
Kyle Kirkland is the president of Fresno’s Club One Casino. Kirkland is also president of the California Gaming Association, the trade association that represents the $5.6 billion California cardroom industry.
Ben Dewell (Independent)
Ben Dewell is a self-described 11th generation American and a native Californian, raised in the San Joaquin Valley. He is a director on the Hearing Board of the Eastern Kern Air Pollution Control District, and also a director with the Stallion Springs Community Service District. He ran as a Democrat in the 2022 congressional primary.
Anna Zoe Cohen, Dr. Harmesh Kumar, James Cardoza and David Fluhart are also running.
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