Tom Suozzi, strong supporter of Israel, returns to Congress
Suozzi recently visited Israel and toured the areas near Gaza that Hamas attacked on Oct. 7
Tom Suozzi celebrates his victory Tuesday in New York in the special election to replace expelled Rep. George Santos. Photo by Stephanie Keith/Getty Images
By Jacob Kornbluh February 13, 2024
Former Congressman Tom Suozzi is returning to Congress and pushing expelled Republican George Santos’ district into the Democratic column.
Suozzi, 61, bested the Republican nominee, Nassau County legislator Mazi Melesa Pilip, 54% to 46% in Tuesday’s special election, according to unofficial election results.
The race centered around immigration and Israel, with both Suozzi and Pilip, an Ethiopian Israel and IDF veteran, pledging to be strong advocates for the Jewish state.
Republicans and Democrats across the nation watched the swing district contest closely, as a possible indicator of which party will take the White House and majorities in Congress in November.
The win for Suozzi, who represented the district for three terms until he left Congress to run for governor in 2022, shrinks the GOP’s razor-thin majority in the House. And he adds another strong voice for Israel within the Democratic caucus, where more left-leaning members have called for curtailing military aid to Israel amid its war against Hamas in Gaza.
Suozzi has strong ties with the Jewish community in the district, where the electorate is 13% Jewish and which includes neighborhoods in the eastern part of Long Island and in the New York City borough of Queens.
“I want to thank the Jewish voters who stuck with me,” Suozzi said in his victory speech.
The Roman Catholic father of three often uses Yiddish and Hebrew terms when engaging with Jews. And Suozzi recently visited Israel and toured the areas near Gaza that Hamas attacked on Oct. 7. He said his first trip to Israel, in 2002 during the Second Intifada, deepened his concern for the country.
A certified public accountant, Suozzi served as Nassau County executive before succeeding former Rep. Steve Israel, who is Jewish, following Israel’s retirement in 2016. Suozzi served as vice-chair of the Problem Solvers Caucus, which is evenly split between Democrats and Republicans, and in his first House floor speech spoke about buttressing Israel’s security.
In a virtual event hosted by the Democratic Majority for Israel on Monday, Suozzi vowed to use his first speech on the House floor following his swearing-in “to advance an agenda to promote bipartisanship” and get the foreign aid bill — which includes $14 billion in military assistance to Israel — passed.
Perfect storm
Suozzi raised more money and benefitted from better name recognition during the campaign. Pilip tried to tie him to Democratic President Joe Biden, who struggles with low approval ratings. She played up her service in the IDF and frequently noted that she is the mother of seven.
An Election Day snowstorm may have also worked in Suozzi’s favor, depressing turnout and allowing him to retain a lead he established during early voting. Among the 66,800 who cast ballots during nine days of early voting, approximately 30,000 were registered Democrats, compared to nearly 23,000 Republicans and Conservatives.
“I suppose if you’re a partisan who believes in divine intervention, tomorrow we’re going to find out whether God is a Democrat or Republican, based on who wins,” Rep. Israel quipped Monday evening. The Congressional Leadership Fund, a Republican super PAC, reportedly hired multiple snow plow companies to clear streets around poll sites in hopes of boosting turnout.
Pilip, who still serves as a local legislator, hasn’t said if she’s going to challenge Suozzi in November, when he will have to run again to retain the 3rd District seat.
The money game
Republicans and Democrats spent heavily on the race. Outside groups invested at least $22 million in the media market — about $13.8 million from national Democratic groups and $8.1 million from Republicans, according to ad tracker AdImpact.
Suozzi and Pilip also received substantial support from major Jewish and pro-Israel organizations.
The Republican Jewish Coalition invested at least $100,000, about half from their super PAC, the RJC Victory Fund, and half from individual donors who directly supported Pilip’s campaign via the RJC portal, said Sam Markstein, the group’s spokesperson. Members affiliated with NORPAC, a bipartisan pro-Israel organization, donated at least $40,400 to Pilip, according to FEC filings released earlier this month.
Suozzi’s backers included the Jewish Democratic Council of America and the Democratic Majority for Israel political action committees. Each group spent $35,000 in targeted digital ads, phone banking and print advertisements. The Suozzi campaign also received $20,000 from NORPAC donors.
Both candidates spoke frequently and strongly in support of Israel as it pursues Hamas in Gaza, a four-month military campaign that has been condemned widely for its high civilian death toll. And they both pledged to combat rising antisemitism on college campuses, a source of deep consternation among many American Jews.
A recent Newsday/Siena College poll of 694 voters showed that Jewish voters were equally divided (45% to 45%) on whether Suozzi or Pilip would do a better “establishing American policy towards the Israel-Hamas war.”
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