Former GOP Rep. George Santos, who was expelled from the
House last year and is facing federal charges, announced Thursday night that
he’s running for Congress again — this time to challenge a Republican
congressman in New York.
“Tonight, I want to announce that I will be returning to the
arena of politics and challenging Nick for the battle over #NY1,” Santos wrote
on X, referring to GOP Rep. Nick LaLota. “I look forward to debating him on the
issues and on his weak record as a Republican. The fight for our majority is
imperative for the survival of the country.”
The former congressman, who had represented New York’s 3rd
District, made his announcement during President Joe Biden’s State of the Union
address Thursday — during which he was spotted at the US Capitol.
Santos enters a battleground contest in New York that’s
among several races in the state that could decide the House majority – though
he’ll face steep odds for his comeback bid, even setting aside his personal
baggage, in challenging an incumbent in a June primary.
LaLota quickly hit back at Santos’ new bid Thursday night.
“To raise the standard in Congress, and to hold a pathological liar who stole
an election accountable, I led the charge to expel George Santos. If finishing
the job requires beating him in a primary, count me in,” LaLota said.
LaLota had introduced a resolution to expel his fellow New
York Republican last fall, saying that he deserved “to be in prison.”
In his announcement for his new campaign, Santos called his
former colleague a RINO, or Republican in Name Only. “New York hasn’t had a
real conservative represent them since I left office arbitrarily, thanks to
RINO, empty suits like @nicklalota,” he wrote on X.
A crowded field of Democrats has assembled to try to flip
New York’s 1st District, which is rated Lean Republican by Inside Elections
with Nathan L. Gonzales.
John Avlon, a former CNN commentator, and Nancy Goroff, a
professor emeritus at Stony Brook University who lost a bid for the House in
2020, are among the lead contenders on the Democratic side.
“Bring it on,” Avlon said in a statement Thursday night
responding to Santos’ new campaign.
The Santos for Congress campaign also filed organization
paperwork with the Federal Election Commission on Thursday night, stating his
intention to run in the 1st District. The campaign’s new filing identified the
return of a treasurer who previously worked for Santos.
Santos is the sixth lawmaker ever to be expelled from the
chamber. He has separately pleaded not guilty to 23 federal charges, including
allegations of fraud related to Covid-19 unemployment benefits, misusing
campaign funds and lying about his personal finances on House disclosure
reports.
This story has been updated with additional information.
