In March of last year, just a few months after she was first elected to office as a member of the Nassau County legislature, Mazi Melesa Pilip was already being presented as a new type of Republican.
“This is a new face. This is a new Republican,” she told NY1 in an interview at the Republican state convention.
What You Need To Know
- Republican leaders on Thursday made Mazi Pilip their nominee in the race to succeed disgraced former Congressman George Santos
- Pilip, a member of the Nassau County legislature, is an Ethiopian-born refugee who served in the Israel Defense Forces before moving to the U.S.
- Pilip is a registered Democrat but identifies as a Republican; fierce support for Israel is her signature issue
- She will face Democrat Tom Suozzi in a Feb. 13 special election that is expected to attract national attention
Now, less than two years later, the local lawmaker and mother of seven is being thrust onto the national stage.
On Thursday, Republican party leaders made her their nominee for the Congressional seat in Nassau County and eastern Queens formerly held by George Santos. She’ll face off against former Congressman Tom Suozzi in a Feb. 13 special election.
Pilip, who last month was elected to a second term in the Nassau legislature, was born in Ethiopia and emigrated to Israel at age 12. She served as a paratrooper in the Israel Defense Forces before moving to the U.S.
Pilip is also a registered Democrat, though she holds office as a Republican and has adopted traditional Republican positions on issues like taxes and public safety.
She is also a fierce supporter of Israel. “We are not going to be silent,” she told NY1 at a recent rally at Columbia University against anti-Semitism. “We’re going to fight for our rights.”
Political strategist Bill O’Reilly said he likes Pilip’s chances of keeping the Santos seat in Republican hands.
“She’s got an extraordinary background,” he said. “I think it was a really bold choice for the Nassau GOP and for the state party, and the Conservative Party is backing her as well. She’s got an amazing history and it kind of guarantees that Israel will be front and center in this race.”
Suozzi, the former Congressman representing the district, frames himself as a common-sense Democrat. The winner of the special election will serve out the remainder of Santos’ term, but will have to run again in the November general election to win a full two-year term.
The Santos seat is a critical pickup opportunity for Democrats as they seek to regain control of the House, and will attract a huge spotlight.
“If you don’t know the name Mazi Pilip, give it a few weeks,” O’Reilly said. “It’s the only game in town nationally. So this is going to be a major national race.”