Former New York Rep. George Santos announces plans to run for Congress again

NEW YORK — Former New York Rep. George Santos plans to run for Congress again, he announced Thursday night.

In a post on X, Santos said he plans to challenge Rep. Nick LaLota in New York’s First Congressional District, which includes eastern Long Island.

“I look forward to debating him on the issues and on his weak record as a Republican. The fight for our majority is imperative for the survival of the country,” he wrote.

LaLota responded in a statement, saying, “To raise the standard in Congress, and to hold a pathological liar who stole an election accountable, I led the charge to expel George Santos. If finishing the job requires beating him in a primary, count me in.”

Santos, who previously represented the state’s Third Congressional District, was expelled from Congress in December in the wake of a scathing report by the House Ethics committee that found “substantial evidence” he violated federal law and used campaign money for personal expenses.

House lawmakers voted 311 to 114 in favor of his expulsion, making Santos the sixth House member in the nation’s history to be expelled. He had survived two previous calls for his removal — the first after he was indicted by the Justice Department in May 2023, the second in October 2023 after a superseding indictment.

Santos faces 23 federal charges related to alleged wire fraud, identity theft and campaign finance violations and other crimes. The trial is set for September.

Democrat Tom Suozzi beat Republican Mazi Pilip in the special election to replace Santos in New York’s Third Congressional District.