A winter storm expected to bring up to 8 inches of snow to the Northeast might impact voter turnout on Tuesday for the closely contested special election to fill the seat previously held by ousted New York GOP Rep. George Santos.
The Third Congressional District race between Republican Mazi Pilip and Democrat Tom Suozzi is reportedly highly competitive. The district encompasses much of Nassau County and parts of northern Queens.
Lawrence Levy, dean of the National Center of Suburban Studies at Hofstra University and a seasoned observer of Long Island politics, suggested to the New York Post that the election’s outcome could hinge on the weather conditions. “As close as this race has been and after the millions of dollars that have been spent, the election might be decided by the weather gods,” Levy remarked.
Some believe that the winter storm could benefit Suozzi, a former three-term congressman, as thousands more Democrats than Republicans have participated in the nine days of early voting. While the district leans Democratic, Santos, who was removed from office in December 2023 due to ethics issues, secured the seat in 2022. A Democratic victory would narrow the Republicans’ slim House majority further.
