GOP Swipes Crucial House Seat After 10 Years in Democrat Clutches
New York Republican George Santos flipped a U.S. House seat Tuesday night in what was part of a very good night for GOP congressional candidates in the Empire State.
Santos defeated Robert Zimmerman, taking the 3rd congressional district on Long Island with approximately 54 percent of the vote to the Democrat candidate’s 46 percent, according to The New York Times.
The 3rd District has been in Democratic hands since Republican then-Rep. Peter King retired in 2012.
The Cook Partisan Voter Index rates the 3rd a D+2 district, meaning Democrats have a two percentage point advantage.
In September 2021, the liberal website Daily Kos calculated, based on its new boundaries created following the 2020 U.S. Census, the 3rd would have gone for President Joe Biden with 53.6 percent of the vote to former President Donald Trump’s 45.4 percent in 2020.
After King’s retirement, the seat was held by Democratic Rep. Steve Israel from 2013 to 2017. Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi won the seat in the 2016 election, but stepped down earlier this year to launch an unsuccessful bid for governor.
“Santos, a 34-year-old finance executive who lost to Suozzi two years ago, ran for the NY-3 congressional district seat on a conservative platform of cutting taxes, demanding border security and railing against the Democrats’ unpopular state cashless bail law,” the New York Post reported.
We did it! #NY03 has spoken! I promised one thing throughout this entire campaign: to be your champion in DC. Thank you for this opportunity to be your voice! pic.twitter.com/xqdQaKGfIm
— George Santos (@Santos4Congress) November 9, 2022
The Post noted Santos’ race against Zimmerman marked the first time two openly gay candidates faced off in a congressional race.
Politico reported that Santos’ victory was part of a Long Island sweep for the GOP taking all four of its U.S. House districts.
ABC New York: “A CLEAN SWEEP here on Long Island.”#Midterms2022results #Usa #Biden #Trump #Democrats #Republicans #Senate pic.twitter.com/hPY6LLFfFN
— LWNC (@LWNChannel) November 9, 2022
Republicans running for Congress had a good night overall in New York flipping two other House seats in addition to the Long Island sweep.
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Two GOP candidates won in the Hudson Valley north of New York City: Mike Lawler over Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee Chairman Rep. Patrick Maloney and Marc Molinaro besting Democrat Josh Riley.
WABC-TV’s Stacey Sager called the clean sweep, “clearly an historic night.”
George Santos wins #NY03. pic.twitter.com/1VUdgmqBgm
— Lianna Farnesi (@farnesi) November 9, 2022
Other New York Republicans also cruised to victory, including House Republican Conference Chairwoman Rep. Elise Stafanik, Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, Rep. Claudia Tenney, and Nick Langworthy.
Florida was another bright spot for the GOP Tuesday night in what was not the red wave election Republicans anticipated.
Republican candidates flipped three congressional seats held by Democrats, and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Sen. Marco Rubio soundly defeated their Democratic challengers.
This article appeared originally on The Western Journal.
