The Republican Party experienced more electoral disappointment on Tuesday when Republican Mazi Pilip lost to Democrat Tom Suozzi in the special election for New York‘s 3rd Congressional District. The contest was to replace former GOP Rep. George Santos.
On Dec. 1, 2023, Santos was expelled from the House of Representatives by a sizable majority that included 105 Republicans. The expulsion came after a damning ethics report spelled the end of his term. It also came less than a month after Republican off-year election results were less than stellar. Now, the GOP has one fewer member in the House during a crucial time. It should be a lesson to Republicans.
Santos was a problem from the start. Even before he was voted into office, questions swirled about his life story and claims about his education and work experience. Even after winning and admitting to fabrications, he remained committed to his new role as representative.
In January 2023, Nassau County Republicans called for Santos to resign, saying: “He deceived voters. His lies were not mere fibs. He disgraced the House of Representatives. He’s not welcome here at Republican headquarters.”
Even after the ethics report concluded “there was substantial evidence that Representative George Santos: knowingly caused his campaign committee to file false or incomplete reports with the Federal Election Commission; used campaign funds for personal purposes; [and] engaged in fraudulent conduct,” more than 100 House Republicans still did not support his expulsion.
Following Suozzi’s win, the disgraced Santos, whose trial is scheduled to begin in September, posted “-1” on X, formerly Twitter. With no self-awareness, Santos looks to the party as a whole as the main problem.
Voters don’t appreciate party loyalty over honesty in personal and professional life. This is why the seat turned blue this week. Republicans, in a rush of excitement to win the seat in the first place and then keep it after questions arose, turned a blind eye to the significant moral and legal problems of one of their own.
Republicans must be wiser when it comes to candidates. The entire Santos debacle and its aftermath are a reminder to do just that. But the same can be said concerning the presidency. The GOP must think long-term.
Gaining victories on election night is the goal. Selecting quality candidates is equally important. The 2020 presidential election results are proof that an incumbent with impressive policy wins can still lose. Personal behavior, words, and actions can tank a candidate’s chances — even if their offenses don’t rise to the level of illegality.
Selecting quality candidates is crucial to more than winning a single election. In many ways, the effects of bad candidates last longer than those of good candidates who stay out of the spotlight and stick to their tasks. We see that with former President Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign.
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President Joe Biden is drowning in domestic and foreign problems, notably the border, inflation, and the crises and funding questions in Ukraine and Israel. His cognitive abilities, or lack thereof, are also deeply concerning. Yet, polling indicates Trump certainly is not running away with the race. If he were a better candidate overall, it would be a different story.
Democrats flipped a Republican House seat as the majority party is struggling, which indicates a big problem for the GOP as voters look toward November. Democrats continue to gain in Washington despite disasters and White House public relations problems across the board. If Republicans were more careful about candidates in the first place and balanced electoral hopes with the need for decency, this unfortunate power shift might never have happened.
Kimberly Ross (@SouthernKeeks) is a contributor to the Washington Examiner’s Beltway Confidential blog and a columnist at Arc Digital.