Special Election to Replace George Santos Set for Feb. 13

ALBANY, N.Y. — The special election to replace disgraced former Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., will be held on Feb. 13, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced Tuesday evening.

As previously reported by The Well News, Santos was expelled from the House of Representatives on Friday by a 311-114-2 vote.

His ouster came after months of revelations about his alleged misdeeds and multiple lies.

These purported lies made him the subject of a 23-count federal indictment and led to an investigation by the House Ethics Committee, which released a scathing, 56-page report about Santos two weeks ago that brought the matter to a head.

A superseding indictment filed in October tacked on additional charges over accusations he inflated his campaign finance reports and charged donors’ credit cards without authorization.

With his expulsion, Santos became the first person in history to be tossed out of the House without first either being convicted of a serious crime or engaging in an insurrection by supporting the Confederacy.

In her announcement of the special election, Hochul said, “members of Congress provide critical constituent services, serve as a link to federal agencies, and advocate on behalf of the constituents who sent them to Washington.

“I look forward to working with the next representative for the 3rd Congressional District on the issues facing New Yorkers,” she said.

So far, neither the Republican nor the Democratic committees on Long Island have announced who their candidates will be.

The Democrats held candidate screenings last Friday evening, and plan to announce their choice later this week. It has been widely speculated that the party will choose former Rep. Thomas Suozzi, who defeated Santos in 2020 but declined to run for reelection in 2022 and made a failed bid for the New York governorship instead.

Candidates whose names have been mentioned on the Republican side include state Sen. Jack Martins and Nassau County Legislator Mazi Melesa Pilip, but the committee has not publicly said anything about its pick or its process.

The winner of the special election will fill out the rest of Santos’ unexpired term, and the seat will be up again in the 2024 election and any primaries that might precede it.

Dan can be reached at [email protected] and @DanMcCue