Democratic PAC to drop $5.9M ad blitz to flip George Santos seat
House Democrats’ premiere super PAC unveiled plans Wednesday to pump $5.9 million into efforts to win back the congressional seat formerly held by lying Long Island Republican George Santos.
The House Majority PAC is planning to shell out $3.7 million on TV ads, $1.5 million on digital platforms, and $700,000 on a mailer program in the weeks leading up to the Feb. 13 special election in the Nassau County and Queens district.
“With these initial television and digital reservations and mail program, House Majority PAC is making it clear that we will do whatever it takes to take back the House in 2024 — and NY-03 represents the opportunity to make that happen,” House Majority PAC president Mike Smith said in a statement.
“Tom Suozzi is a fighter who has a proven record of lowering costs, strengthening police, and working across the aisle to get things done. House Majority PAC looks forward to flipping NY-03 blue.”
Suozzi, who repped the Third District for six years, will square off against the Republican nominee, Nassau County legislator Mazi Melesa Pilip.
The seat has been vacant since Santos was expelled from the House of Representatives Dec. 1 in the wake of a blistering report from the House Committee on Ethics finding that he “blatantly stole” from his campaign, among other transgressions.
Santos was able to flip the seat into the Republican column in 2022 after Suozzi resigned to pursue an unsuccessful primary challenge to Gov. Kathy Hochul.
The February election may be the last in the current district after New York’s Court of Appeals ordered the state’s House map redrawn earlier this month in a major win for Democrats.
A new map won’t be ready for the special election, but could dramatically alter the landscape of congressional races in the Empire State in November 2024.
Currently, the House has 221 Republicans and 213 Democrats, with two more GOPers set to leave the chamber in the coming weeks.
Former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) announced his resignation effective at the end of this month, while Rep. Bill Johnson (R-Ohio) is set to step down early next year to take on the presidency of Youngstown State University.
