Republican Mazi Philip and Democrat Tom Suozzi each made final appeals to voters Monday in a neck-and-neck House race to replace ousted Long Island Rep. George Santos — though Mother Nature may have the final say.
Political insiders fear a storm forecast to drop eight inches of snow in the region on Tuesday could affect voter turnout in the special election for the Third Congressional District, which covers most of Nassau County and parts of northern Queens.
“As close as this race is and after millions of dollars have been spent, the election may be decided by the weather gods,” said Lawrence Levy, dean of the national center for suburban studies at Hofstra University and a longtime watcher of Long Island Politics.
Some say the storm could give Suozzi, a former three-term congressman, an advantage as thousands more Democrats turn out during the nine days of early voting in the nail-biting race.
But conservatives angered by issues like the escalating border crisis and discontent with President Biden may be more motivated to get their cars out of the snow and ice and drive to the polls to vote for Philip, a Nassau County legislator.
“It can be a problem for both parties. There is a diversity of opinion in both parties about the impact,” said Levy.
The winter storm is expected to potentially affect voter turnout in the special election to replace former Rep. George Santos in Queens and Long Island on February 13, 2024. FOX Weather
Philip encouraged supporters to get out and vote despite the weather at an election night event at his campaign headquarters on Monday.
“Tomorrow your job is to get to the finish line. The finish line is a great victory,” he told the gathered crowd. “It doesn’t matter whether it rains or snows. We will get out safely. We will encourage people to go to the polls safely because we are talking about saving our country, saving the country we love the most.”
The New York City metro area is expected to get several inches of snow. FOX
The Nassau Republican Party machine has a better election day “get out the vote” operation, something former US Sen. Al D’Amato — who has strong ties to the local GOP — suggests will help ensure wet weather doesn’t affect turnout for Philip.
“I don’t think the weather will have a big impact. We’re going to have more people getting voters out to vote,” D’Amato told The Post, adding that angering state lawmakers and Washington will also push people to get out.
“Mazi will win. Biden f—ked up. There is a border crisis and people hate it,” D’Amato said.
He also noted Philip – an orthodox Jew who served in the Israeli army – would do much better among Democratic-leaning Jewish voters in the district because of Biden’s support for Israel in its war with Hamas.
Mazi Philip spoke on Monday during a rally ahead of tomorrow’s special election. Michael Nagle
Both candidates have distanced themselves from the president — and Philip, in an interview on Fox 5’s “Good Day New York” Monday morning, insisted that his opponent supported many of Biden’s policies while he was in Congress during the 2021-2022 term.
“The immigration crisis we are facing now. Illegal immigration into our country — this is what he is [Suozzi] created,” said Philip.
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“He is responsible. We need to tell him to take responsibility.”
Philip added: “I will guard our borders. This is our job.”
Former Rep. Tom Suozzi said he’s running to help “heal our country.” Edmund J Coppa
She said she and her husband immigrated legally to the US from Israel and stressed that immigration should be done in a “planned” manner, as opposed to the “chaos” at the southern border with Mexico under Biden.
The Republican candidate doubled down on the border crisis as a key campaign issue at a rally outside his campaign headquarters.
“[Migrants are] come illegally into our country and attack our law enforcement, attack our police,” he said, referring to the immigrant attack on two NYPD cops in Times Square.
“How dare we let something like this happen in front of our eyes?” He also slammed his opponent for failing in his governorship bid. “He just wants to come back because he lost the governor’s seat and now he wants his old job back,” said Philip. “Mazi Philip will bring you down.”
Meanwhile, Suozzi said he’s running as a candidate who will work across the aisle with the GOP and painted Philip as “taking the extreme right wing positions of the Republican Party and refusing to compromise.”
“I’m not just running as a Democrat versus a Republican. Let’s work together as Democrats and Republicans to heal our country,” Suozzi said on Fox 5.
He said he supported the Senate bill that included a compromise to tighten border security, but it collapsed under GOP opposition.
Nassau County Democratic Leader Jay Jacobs said he was concerned about stormy weather when the Feb. 13 special election date was set by Gov. Kathy Hochul — and that’s why Suozzi’s team has emphasized the early voting period, which ends Saturday.
“I said, ‘we better prepare for a blizzard in a special election because it could happen.’ What do you know? I should be in the weather business,” Jacobs quipped to The Post.
Suozzi spoke to constituents at a bakery in Glen Cove on Feb. 12. 2204. JUSTIN LANE/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
He said slippery conditions could affect Republicans more, but the whole issue could be overblown, as he expects the storm to pass and conditions to improve.
Suozzi’s campaign said it is increasing trips to the polls and will still have volunteers go door-to-door and continue phone banks on Election Day, despite the snow.
At least 11,000 more Democrats than Republicans voted early combined in the Nassau and Queens parts of the district, when absentee ballots were taken into account, Jacobs said.
Lisa Taylor, 39, a lifelong Long Islander who works at an ice cream parlor, said the snow couldn’t keep her at home — and she’s voting for Philip.
“I always vote … Because New York sucks and we have to change and we have to get rid of the people in charge,” Taylor told The Post Monday from Franklin Square, where Philip hosted a rally later that afternoon.
Read more of The Post’s coverage of the special election to replace George Santos:
Mazi Philip from the Republicans ran against former Rep. Tom Suozzi in the special election to replace George Santos in New York’s Third Congressional District. Gabriella Bass; Kevin C. Downs for the NY Post
Joe Bowler, 58, another lifelong Long Islander said he had already voted early – for Philip – but worried the snow would affect turnout.
“Unfortunately, there are empty seats that need to be filled,” he said about election time.
“It’s an aging community and a lot of people don’t like driving in the snow or going out in the snow or slipping in the snow,” he added.
The race to close out the final 11 months of Santos’ term has been heated, with ad spending exceeding $21.5 million — $13.6 million by Democrats-Suozzi to $7.9 million by Republicans-Pilip.
Republicans narrowed the ad spending gap from 6 to 1 for Suozzi last month to 2 to 1 in the final round.
Polls will be open from 6am to 9pm on Election Day.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
