Republican Nassau County Legislator Mazi Pilip and Democratic former Rep. Tom Suozzi traded shots on the debate stage just days before the special election to decide which one would replace ousted former Rep. George Santos.
Mr. Suozzi, 61, who held the seat from 2017 to 2023 when he ran unsuccessfully for governor, sparred with political newcomer Ms. Pilip over abortion, illegal immigration and gun control.
In this way, the special election for the congressional district in Long Island is a test run for this year’s House races. But more immediately, it will decide if the House Republicans can slightly improve their paper-thin majority.
Ms. Pilip, 44, who has championed pro-life positions, said in the debate that aired Thursday that she would “fight for women’s rights,” leading Mr. Suozzi to question if she was pro-choice.
“I’m a mother of seven children. I think when it comes to abortion, every woman should have that choice to make that decision,” she said. “I chose to be a mother of seven children. That was my choice. I’m not going to force my own beliefs on any women. Therefore, I’m not going to support a national abortion ban. Therefore, I’m not going to risk women’s rights.”
Mr. Suozzi repeatedly asked her if she was pro-choice, pointing out that she was endorsed by conservatives.
“You sound like you’re saying you’re pro-choice but then you say you’re pro-life. When it comes to the laws, you say you’re not going to tell people what to do but you support the Supreme Court decision and the conservative party line,” he said.
Ms. Pilip shot back: “Just because I was endorsed by the conservative line doesn’t mean I’m going to agree with everything they’re going to tell.”
The two also butted heads on banning semi-automatic weapons. Ms. Pilip would not clarify if she would ban semi-automatics such as AR-15s, but said she doesn’t “see any reason why average American or individual should have more powerful weapons than our cops.”
She also said guns should be kept out of the hands of people with mental issues or criminal records and who are suspected terrorists. She said she supports training, background checks and waiting periods.
Mr. Suozzi was faced with having to defend his decision to kick Immigration and Custom Enforcement agents out of Nassau County when he was county executive back in 2007. A clip has been circulating of the former congressman during a 2022 gubernatorial debate where he bragged about removing the officers.
The New York Democrat said that ICE hadn’t been following the rules, and the police commissioner asked him to handle it.
“[The police commissioner] said, ‘I can’t work with these guys.’ So my police commissioner asked me to stop working with ICE. Would you deny your police commissioner?” Mr. Suozzi said.
“Let me tell you,” Ms. Pilip said, “as a county executive, you are in charge of this county. It doesn’t matter what the commissioner will tell you. In the end, you make that decision.”
Looking to tout his get-tough position on migrants, Mr. Suozzi said that when he was in the House in 2018, he was one of only 18 Democrats who voted to support ICE.
Ms. Pilip is an Ethiopian-born Jew who grew up in Ethiopia and Israel. At 18, she joined the Israeli Defense Forces where she served as a paratrooper.
She has been a vocal supporter of Israel’s war with Hamas. On the debate stage, she talked about a moment when she wasn’t sure if she should give one of her sons a Star of David necklace as a gift for his bar mitzvah for fear of antisemitism in America.
Both she and Mr. Suozzi support more U.S. aid for Israel.
• Mallory Wilson can be reached at mwilson@washingtontimes.com.
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