Voters will head to the polls on Long Island on Tuesday to replace George Santos, who was ousted from the House of Representatives.
After two years of lies and drama by Mr. Santos, Republican Mazi Melesa Pilip, who is running to replace Mr. Santos, has refused to debate his Democratic opponent, Tom Suozzi, for most of the campaign. When I did that, I thought it was a bit of a red flag.
Last week, when we saw Pilip finally appear on the debate stage, we understood why she chose to avoid the ordeal.
Mr. Suozzi is a proven moderate Democrat and a successful former member of the House of Representatives. Pilip, a Nassau County councilman scouted by local Republicans, is already showing signs of being unfit for the job.
Mr. Pillip, a Democrat-turned-Republican, has repeatedly failed to take a consistent position on issues important to voters in this moderate district east of New York City.
She said she talks about the big picture of fortifying the U.S. southern border to stem the flow of migrants into the New York City area, but opposes bipartisan legislation in Congress that would do just that.
Pillip misled voters about his position on gun safety and boasted about supporting the federal government during debates. A ban on fully automatic firearms has been in place since 1986, but a majority of Americans refuse to support a ban on semi-automatic firearms, which they prefer.
Pillip said the Supreme Court “made the right decision” in striking down Roe v. Wade. This may be of particular interest to Long Island voters. In the state, 76% of voters say they support legalizing abortion. But Pillip uses language that makes it seem like he supports abortion rights, even though he doesn’t. “When it comes to abortion, I think every woman should have the choice to make that decision,” she deceptively stated during the debate. A few minutes later, after Suozzi pressed her with “I’m pro-life,” Pilip said something completely different.
Polls show Suozzi leading Pilip by just four points. High turnout among civic-minded voters in Nassau County (and parts of Queens) could be the difference between sending responsible public servants to Congress and replacing them with another partisan demagogue.