George Santos Announces Congressional Comeback Bid Amidst Controversy

George Santos is spotted in the House chamber just prior to the State of the Union address at the US Capitol on March 7.

George Santos is spotted in the House chamber just prior to the State of the Union address at the US Capitol on March 7. Francis Chung/POLITICO/AP
CNN
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Former GOP Representative George Santos, who was expelled from the House last year and is facing federal charges, announced Thursday evening his candidacy for Congress once again — this time to oppose 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 stated on X, referring to GOP Representative 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 previously represented New York’s 3rd District, made his declaration during President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address Thursday — during which he was observed at the US Capitol.

Santos steps into a hotly contested race in New York that’s one of several races in the state that could determine the House majority – though he’ll encounter significant challenges for his return bid, even excluding his personal baggage, in contesting an incumbent in a June primary.

LaLota swiftly responded to Santos’ new campaign Thursday evening. “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 stated.

LaLota had introduced a resolution to expel his fellow New York Republican last autumn, asserting that he deserved “to be in prison.”

(Picture: CNN)

In his announcement for his new campaign, Santos labeled 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 competitive field of Democrats has formed to attempt 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 declared in a statement Thursday night in response to Santos’ new campaign.

The Santos for Congress campaign also submitted organizational paperwork with the Federal Election Commission on Thursday night, indicating 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 only 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.