New York Republicans choose Mazi Melesa Pilip as House nominee to replace George Santos

New York Republicans have selected Nassau County legislator Mazi Melesa Pilip as their nominee in the special election to replace ousted GOP Rep. George Santos, setting the stage for a competitive race in February.  

County party leaders selected Pilip, an Ethiopian immigrant who served as a paratrooper in the Israel Defense Forces, one week after Democratic leaders selected former Rep. Tom Suozzi as their nominee for the special election on Feb. 13. 

Kellen Curry, another Republican candidate for the seat, told NBC News that GOP leaders informed him they had picked Pilip for the special election. Newsday first reported Pilip's selection.

The Nassau County and Queens County Republican Parties did not immediately respond to requests for comment. 

Suozzi and Pilip will have a short window to make their cases to voters, and the race for the Long Island-based 3rd District is expected to be competitive. While Suozzi has represented the area for decades, including a stint holding a version this congressional district, Pilip is a relative political newcomer. 

During the GOP selection process, Politico reported that Pilip is actually a registered Democrat. 

President Joe Biden carried the district by 8 percentage points in 2020, according to calculations from Daily Kos Elections, but Santos won it two years later, also by an 8-point margin.

Suozzi launched his first TV ad on Thursday, stressing his focus on finding “common ground.”  

Santos was expelled earlier this month after the House Ethics Committee released a damning report report that found Santos appeared to break multiple federal laws in his 2022 campaign.  

Santos also embellished much of his background, so local party leaders were focused on carefully vetting their potential candidates. Party leaders had interviewed more than 20 candidates and worked with an outside firm to conduct background research, a spokesman for the Nassau County GOP had previously confirmed to NBC News.

During the selection process, Politico reported that Pilip is actually a registered Democrat.