LI Dem Tom Suozzi crashes GOP rival’s event outside NYC ‘tent city’ migrant shelter as both gun for Santos’ empty seat
A war of words.
Former Long Island Rep. Tom Suozzi crashed his Republican rival’s campaign event outside one of the Big Apple’s tent city migrant shelters Thursday — as both Congress hopefuls honed in on the asylum seeker crisis to rally voters.
The Democrat, who formerly represented parts of Nassau County and Eastern Queens, stepped in to stage his own press conference just moments after GOP candidate Mazi Pilip wrapped up her brief migrant-related remarks outside the Queens shelter.
“I know that you were just here for a press conference. My opponent in this race, she will not do debates with me,” the ex-congressman told constituents outside the Creedmoor Psychiatric Center shelter site.
“I thought it was important to come here and rebut some of the things that she brought up directly — and talk about this immigration crisis that is affecting so many families.”
Pilip, on her part, appeared to ignore Suozzi’s presence and left immediately after the event she hosted alongside neighboring Long Island GOP Rep. Anthony D’Esposito.
Suozzi and Pilip — who are facing off against each other to replace the ousted George Santos in New York’s 3rd Congressional District — both used their dueling press conferences to rally about the city’s unrelenting migrant crisis.
“Look around me,” Pilip said in her four-minute remarks. “Neighbors are scared, concerned, and angry — and they should be.”
“We have to secure our borders,” she later added. “First and foremost: protect our borders.”
Read more of The Post’s coverage on the special election to replace George Santos:
- Mazi Pilip, Tom Suozzi stump on final day of early voting in race to replace George Santos in Congress
- Republican known for political upset predicts another shocker in Suozzi-Pilip race for George Santos’ seat
- Mazi Pilip warns voters not to buy Tom Suozzi’s moderate claims: ‘This is part of his game’
- Mazi Pilip scores police union backing ahead of tight House special election to replace George Santos
- Mazi Pilip, Tom Suozzi clash over abortion, border during first debate in race for George Santos’ House seat
The Nassau County legislator, who is a former Israeli paratrooper and native of Ethiopia, also vowed to “invest in our brave ICE agents” if elected.
On the heels of Pilip’s appearance, Suozzi then quickly stepped up — to the exact same spot — and echoed that residents were troubled by the mounting migrant crisis.
“People are really concerned,” he said, before turning his ire back to his GOP opponent.
“I’ve proposed concrete ideas about what needs to be done. She has not. I’m willing to debate, she’s not willing to debate. I’m willing to tell you exactly where I stand on issues and I’ll answer any of your questions; she will not,” Suozzi said.
“In this age of post-George Santos, I don’t know how anybody thinks they could run in the United States Congress in New York’s 3rd Congressional District and not be transparent with the people.”
His remarks were briefly interrupted by a local resident and Pilips’ supporter, who screamed Suozzi was a “liar” before she, too, left the event.
“This community has diminished, and Tom Suozzi has done nothing in all the years he was our Congressman,” Janet Dennis, a life-long Queens resident, told The Post at the event. “Our district is highly ignored.
“I speak for a lot of the constituents here, Republicans and Democrats alike.”
The back-to-back events come just weeks after Suozzi, who represented the 3rd District for six years before stepping down in 2022 to pursue an unsuccessful run for governor, opened his campaign headquarters in Great Neck — the hometown of his GOP rival.
A recent Emerson College/PIX11 poll showed the pair are currently locked in a tight race for the upcoming special election, with 45% of registered voters throwing support behind Suozzi and 42% backing Pilip.
