Democrat Zak Malamed drops out of race against George Santos

Democrat Zak Malamed on Wednesday dropped out of the race for the New York House seat held by embattled Rep. George Santos.

Mr. Malamed instead threw his support behind former Rep. Tom Suozzi’s bid to replace Mr. Santos, a Republican.

“Nominating Tom Suozzi is our best chance to flip this district blue and end the toxic hold that MAGA Republicans have on Long Island and Congress at large,” Mr. Malamed said in a statement. “I have spent the past five months knocking on doors, speaking to voters, and energizing donors across the district. I look forward to continuing that work to win this election and to inspire the next generation of leadership.”

New York’s 3rd Congressional District, which includes parts of Nassau County and Queens, became a marquee race after Mr. Santos was revealed to have lied about almost every aspect of his life story when winning the seat in 2022.

Mr. Santos was then charged with 13 counts of misleading donors, receiving unemployment checks he did not deserve, and lying to Congress. Another 10 counts allege he inflated his campaign finance reports and made unauthorized charges to donor credit cards. He is also being investigated by the House Ethics Committee.

He pleaded not guilty to the charges.

Congress’ New York Republicans also have been trying to get him expelled but to no avail. Mr. Santos survived an expulsion vote last week.

Mr. Suozzi, a Democrat, represented the district from 2017 to 2023 when he ran unsuccessfully for governor. He announced last month that he would be running for his old seat.

“The madness in Washington, D.C., and the absurdity of George Santos remaining in the United States Congress is obvious to everyone,” he said. “You know me, I’ve never sat on the sidelines. From the cost of living to immigration, crime, climate change, combating terrorism in the Middle East and globally, and simply helping people, we need more common sense and compassion and less chaos and senseless fighting.”

He said he would have a formal campaign kickoff after the Nov. 7 elections.

Other notable candidates vying to replace Mr. Santos include former state Sen. Anna Kaplan and Nassau County Legislature member Josh Lafazan. A lot of newcomers also have thrown their hats in the ring.

This election is important for New York Democrats who want to flip at least five House seats, which would help the party quest to take control of the House.