With Christmas presents unwrapped and the Times Square ball dropped, the special election to replace ousted Rep. George Santos is taking center stage.

Early voting begins a month from Wednesday in New York’s 3rd Congressional District, which includes parts of Queens and Nassau counties. Big money is already pouring into the contest.

What You Need To Know

  • The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee on Tuesday rolled out an advertisement attacking GOP nominee Mazi Pilip
  • The ad tried to tie her to hard-right lawmakers, like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia
  • The National Republican Congressional Committee so far has reserved just $242,000 worth of air time for ads
  • Democratic candidate Tom Suozzi on Tuesday sought to deflect an expected GOP attack, urging lawmakers in Washington to act in a bipartisan manner to address immigration policy

The House Democrats’ campaign arm — the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee — on Tuesday unveiled an advertisement attacking Republican nominee Mazi Pilip, attempting to tie the Nassau County legislator to hard-right lawmakers, like Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene of Georgia and Rep. Matt Gaetz of Florida. 

“The MAGA Republican movement hand-picked their candidate for Congress,” the narrator in the ad says.

The ad buy is in the seven-figures, according to a Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesperson.

The rollout comes on the heels of a separate announcement last week from the Democrat-aligned House Majority PAC that they had placed $5.2 million in television and digital ad reservations in the special election.  

Across the aisle, the website AdImpact reports that the Republican campaign arm — the National Republican Congressional Committee — has so far reserved just $242,000 worth of air time, set to begin later this month.

Immigration Policy Takes Center Stage

On Tuesday, Democratic candidate Tom Suozzi tried to pre-empt a line of attack by Republicans. 

He wrote letters to President Joe Biden and House leaders, demanding lawmakers find a bipartisan solution on border policy. 

“I'm trying to use this race as a way to push it onto the front burner for the president. I believe it's a top issue in the Senate right now because they are negotiating, and we have to do the same thing in the House,” Suozzi told reporters. “There is a crisis going on related to immigration.”

In a statement, Aidan Strongreen, Pilip’s campaign manager, pushed back.

“Suozzi failed to secure our borders during his tenure in the majority of Congress, resulting in a flood of unvetted migrants entering our country and state,” Strongreen said.

Debating Debates

Suozzi has already accepted invites to four televised debates, including on Spectrum News NY1.

Pilip so far has accepted only one. Suozzi argues she needs to do more.

“I don't know what she thinks really. We don't even know who she voted for for president,” Suozzi said. 

The debate Pilip has accepted is set for Feb. 8, just days before the special election on Feb. 13.

Suozzi’s campaign notes early voting will already be well underway at that point.