Vote in CD3 special election

The special election Tuesday in the Third Congressional District is being cast as a referendum on issues important to suburban voters in 2024.

Those voters in Nassau County and Queens are selecting a representative to fill the remaining months of the term of the expelled George Santos. It's important they send to Congress someone who can hit the ground running on matters vital to their daily lives.

There are constituent-services issues piling up, such as obtaining Social Security and other federal benefits and correcting passport snafus, and larger ones including bringing back federal dollars to Long Island to address affordability and other pressing quality-of-life issues.

If you are one of the 570,000 registered voters yet to cast a ballot, make yourself heard. Early voting is still possible Saturday and Sunday at specific locations. On Tuesday, vote at your usual designated polling site. 

We have made our case that the best candidate to deliver immediately on important issues is Democrat Tom Suozzi, a tested public servant who can start the job on Day One. Republican Mazi Melesa Pilip, who has barely served one term in the Nassau County Legislature, does not have the breadth of experience or essential knowledge of how government operates. Read our assessment here.

The stark difference in the two candidates' understanding and skills was made clear Thursday in a News12 debate, the only such forum in which Pilip agreed to participate.

On issue after issue, she failed to show any grasp of what's needed to represent the district effectively. For instance, Pilip could not provide any details on how she would get Congress to restore the federal tax deduction for state and local taxes, crucially important to address the problem of affordability on Long Island. Suozzi has gotten a fix passed three times on the House floor. That is key to getting approval in the Senate.

Pilip, astonishingly, declined to take a position on banning semiautomatic assault weapons, the guns used in most mass shootings. And, as she has through most of the campaign, Pilip deflected specific questions on how she would vote on allowing access to abortion or supporting reproductive rights. When asked about her views on climate change, Pilip looked down and read from a script, stunningly unfamiliar with a pressing issue facing our region.

Republicans have pounded on migrants at the southern border with fiery and misleading rhetoric in mailers and TV ads, yet the party and Pilip rejected a tough, bipartisan bill that would have made a real difference. 

In contrast, Suozzi, who served three terms in Congress, supports the deal. If returned to the House, Suozzi would regain his seniority on the powerful Ways and Means Committee, which would award funding for those regions dealing with an influx of migrants. The same goes for federal money already approved for water quality and new infrastructure to deal with flooding and rising sea levels. 

Make an informed choice. And, most important, vote.