Out, but not forgotten: New York GOP still may have a George Santos problem

NEW YORK — George Santos has been a barnacle some New York Republicans have desperately wanted to scrub off. Democrats hope that even out of office he’ll be an anchor weighing down the GOP heading into 2024.

Democratic lawmakers plan to keep the scandal-scarred Santos in the headlines and at the forefront of voters’ minds in New York as the party hopes to recapture control of the narrowly divided House next year

The message: Finally kicking Santos to the curb in a 311-114 vote Friday following a year of revelations that he lied and possibly committed multiple felony counts of fraud is too little, too late for vulnerable freshman Republicans.

“Do you get credit by saying Al Capone is a criminal and should be in jail?” Rep. Dan Goldman (D-N.Y.) said in an interview. “It’s obvious, and you don’t get credit for it unless you come out right away when the facts are laid out.”

Six House districts in New York are expected to be hotly contested between both parties next year. That includes Santos’ now-open seat which covers parts of Queens and Nassau County.

Republicans, though, are certainly breathing a sigh of relief to have Santos gone.

“We can’t demand a better Congress and a more transparent Congress if we allow this to remain a tumor in our conference,” Rep. Nick Langworthy (R-N.Y.) said in an interview.

The House Democrats’ campaign arm is vowing to keep Santos in the news — even as he headed to the exit.

Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee spokesperson Ellie Dougherty in a statement said the party will “make sure voters know who's responsible for enabling distrust and corruption in New York’s Third Congressional District – and that’s the Republican Party.”

And Santos, too, may be happy to see his fellow New York Republicans drift off into the the Long Island Sound with him after they pushed him out.

Santos has indicated he won’t drop out of the public eye, and there is no love lost among the sides. Speaking with reporters Thursday morning, Santos said he wants to remain involved in politics — a potentially tall order given the swirl of legal problems he still faces.

But he could still be a thorn in the GOP’s side if he keeps hammering them through 2024.

“The future is endless. You just never know, you can do whatever you want next,” he said. “I’m just going to do whatever I want. I have a desire to stay very much involved in public policy and advocacy.”

Democrats expect to play offense in five New York House districts that Republicans control, and the pending special election to replace Santos – likely in February – could be the first domino the party needs to fall in order to regain the majority.

The open seat will be an early opportunity for Democrats to test messages with voters and to demonstrate the stakes of a House majority that is up for grabs.

“This is our moment to flip the House,” Democratic consultant Alyssa Cass said. “It’s a fight we can win, but it’s one that’s really hard.”

Still, the end of Santos’ tenure in the House closes the book on a year-long problem for New York Republicans, who considered him a prolonged embarrassment for them, their party and the state’s House delegation, even if it makes their immediate majority all the more tenuous.

Republicans who supported Santos’ ouster were able to build momentum after a damning House Ethics report found he lied and defrauded donors and used campaign funds to pay for Botox and porn.

“It helped their short-term narrative,” Democratic former Rep. Steve Israel said. “But it’s not going to be decisive. In the near term, it showed some political independence.”

Some Democrats, including top party leaders in New York, have signaled Santos cannot completely fuel a campaign against Republicans.

“Democrats have to articulate clearly what we stand for, what we will do for the voters and why we are the better party and have the better candidate to represent them,” New York Democratic Chair Jay Jacobs said. “Then, we’ll earn their votes, Santos notwithstanding.”

Republicans also expect there will be limits to the Santos bashing by Democratic campaigns next year.

“I don’t think anyone’s going to be caring, thinking or talking about George Santos come election time,” Dave Catalfamo, an adviser to freshman Republican Rep. Marc Molinaro said.

The successful vote to remove Santos came as House Speaker Mike Johnson this weekend will appear at a series of high-dollar fundraisers in New York City to benefit the GOP House delegation and its joint fundraising committee with the state party. Johnson, along with New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, opposed Santos’ removal.

Republicans hope Democrats will have plenty of broad-based issues to answer for in the election year as well. Public polling has shown the migrant crisis, public safety and the cost of living are top concerns for New York voters.

And months from now, Santos might simply be remembered as a near fictional character who was only the sixth House member ever to be expelled.

“No amount of wish-casting by Democrats can undo their disastrous pro-crime, pro-open borders and pro-inflation policies,” National Republican Congressional Committee spokesperson Savannah Viar said.

Even so, Santos’ fellow New York Republicans have continuously ripped him, often in visceral terms as a “fraudster” and being “divorced from reality.”

And they will be able to tout to voters that they stood up to one of their own.

“New Yorkers from Queens and Nassau County deserve better than Mr. Santos — a total fraud and serial liar,” Rep. Nick LaLota, a freshman House Republican in a nearby district.

Republicans also hope excising Santos from the chamber will allow them a clean start to a pivotal election year.

But Langworthy, a western New York Republican and a former state GOP chair, also acknowledged the Santos saga has had legs that extend beyond Long Island.

“We have members who are in vulnerable seats from the New York delegation who hear about this from constituents or neighboring constituents,” he said. “They’ve been victimized by this guy. It casts a very dark shadow over the conference to have someone who is nearly a convicted felon.”