New York’s 3rd Congressional District held their special election on February 13th, after George Santos became the sixth member of the House of Representatives to be expelled. The race was between former New York’s 3rd Congressional District representative Tom Suozzi from the Democratic Party, and Nassau County Legislature member Mazi Pilip from the Republican Party.

It was a very contested race, and despite the district leaning slightly more towards the Democratic Party, the Republicans were hoping to keep their hold on this seat with a hopeful red surge for the party. It was a brutal campaign on both sides, with major attacks on both candidates from their enemy. In the end, Tom Suozzi won the special election with 53.9% of the vote to Mazi Pilip’s 46.1%.

With the victory last night, the Democrats close in on the Republicans’ historically small majority. The victory also continues a trend that shows the Republicans’ struggling in suburban areas. Ever since the 2020 election, these suburban areas have been growing more and more Democratic, which is another reason why this special election was a high priority for the Republicans.

This election means that the battlefield that was attempting to get bills past in the House of Representatives gets even tougher for the Republicans, and it is a worrying blow to the Republican 2024 election outlook.