U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi declared victory late Tuesday over Republican rival Michael LiPetri, a former state assemblyman, holding onto a key Long Island district to Democrats gunning for control of the House.
Suozzi, a former Nassau County executive, served three terms in the House before giving up the north shore district to run against Gov. Hochul in the most recent Democratic gubernatorial primary. He regained his seat during a special election earlier this year, flipping it blue after the ouster of serial liar and former GOP Rep. George Santos.
The incumbent celebrated at an election night party with New York State Democrats Chairman Jay Jacobs, even though the race had yet to be officially called. Just after midnight, Suozzi had more than 51% of the vote, with nearly all ballots counted, according to the Associated Press.
Both candidates campaigned for control of New York’s Congressional District 3 — which includes some of the nation’s wealthiest suburbs in Nassau County and neighboring districts in Queens — on federal deductions for state and local taxes and immigration reforms.
LePitri, like Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, backed mass deportations. Suozzi, a centrist, focused on border security in campaign ads and declared the “border is broken” at the Democratic National Convention.
After Santos was pushed out of Congress, Suozzi defeated GOP challenger Maxi Pilip during the high-profile contest in February, delivering Democrats an additional seat in the House and a possible playbook for winning competitive races.
Santos in March launched a short-lived, independent campaign to retake his former seat — but raised no money and quickly dropped out of the race.
