Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.), a Long Island Republican who has faced numerous controversies surrounding his fabricated resume, announced on Monday that he would seek re-election in 2024. Both Democratic and Republican lawmakers have called for Santos to step down after he admitted to lying about being Jewish, working for Goldman Sachs and Citigroup, and attending Baruch College.
Santos is currently under investigation by the House Ethics Committee for alleged unlawful campaign activity, violations of federal conflict-of-interest laws, and sexual misconduct against an ex-staffer. Additionally, federal prosecutors and the Federal Elections Commission are probing the origins of $700,000 in personal loans that Santos made to his 2022 campaign along with his apparent habitual falsification of campaign expenses.
A recent poll conducted within his district found that 78% of voters thought he should resign from office due to these scandals.
However, despite calls from GOP colleagues in Congress and local party leaders for him to step down or face consequences within the party ranks, Rep. George Santos confirmed plans to run for re-election in Nassau County's Long Island-based House seat. He faces a difficult battle ahead as both Democrat Josh Lafazan—a Nassau County legislator—and Republican primary challenger Kellen Curry—a military veteran—are expected to enter the race against him.
According to a poll from Navigator Research last week, Representative Santos holds a 36 percentage point favorability deficit among Republicans nationally.
In a statement announcing his re-election bid on Monday morning—without directly addressing any ongoing controversy—Santos portrayed himself as a "fighter" who would work outside traditional Republican Party politics:
Santos, the first openly gay Republican elected to the House, has thus far refused to resign or acknowledge any wrongdoing during his brief tenure and faces both federal and state investigations into his fabricated past.
As this story continues to develop, it remains unclear how these ongoing scandals will affect Santos' re-election campaign and whether he can weather such a storm as he seeks another term representing New York's Third Congressional District.