Tom Suozzi, a Democrat and former congressman, won a special election on Tuesday to fill the vacant House seat of George Santos, a Republican who was expelled from Congress last year over multiple criminal charges and ethics violations.
Suozzi’s victory narrows the Republicans’ slim majority in the House and gives a boost to President Joe Biden’s agenda ahead of the 2024 presidential election.
Suozzi, who served in the House for three years, defeated Republican Mazi Pilip, a county lawmaker, by a comfortable margin of 53.9% to 46.1%, according to CNN.
George Santos was elected in 2022 as part of a wave of pro-Trump Republicans and was indicted in October 2023 on charges of conspiracy, wire fraud, false statements, falsification of records, and other crimes.
He was accused of using campaign funds for personal expenses, such as Botox injections, OnlyFans subscriptions, designer clothes, and luxury travel. He was also accused of lying to the Federal Election Commission and the House Ethics Committee about his spending and income.
The House Ethics Committee released a scathing report in November 2023, confirming most of the allegations and recommending his expulsion. The House voted to expel Santos on December 1st, 2023, by a bipartisan vote of 311-114, making him the first member of Congress to be expelled in 21 years, and the sixth in US history.
