Former U.S. Congressman George Santos has announced his withdrawal from the race for re-election in the 1st Congressional District of New York. Santos, who was running as an independent candidate, made the decision months after being expelled from the House of Representatives while facing multiple federal fraud charges.
Santos took to the social media platform X to share his decision, stating that he did not want his campaign to be seen as a reprisal against his opponent, Nick LaLota. Although Santos criticized LaLota’s voting record, he expressed concern about splitting the ticket and potentially handing the victory to the Democratic Party. He emphasized that his withdrawal was not a permanent departure from politics, stating, “It’s only goodbye for now. I’ll be back.”
The announcement follows reports from Santos’ campaign committee in March, which raised speculation about the viability of his campaign. Initially, Santos had planned to challenge Republican Representative Nick LaLota in the GOP primary for the eastern Long Island congressional district. However, he later decided to run as an independent candidate.
Santos’ expulsion from the House occurred in December after an investigation found “overwhelming evidence” of lawbreaking and deemed him untrustworthy. He became only the sixth member in the chamber’s history to be expelled by colleagues. The former congressman has pleaded not guilty to federal charges, including deceiving Congress about his wealth, misappropriating campaign funds, and fraudulently obtaining unemployment benefits. A trial is tentatively scheduled for later this year.
While Santos did not rule out seeking office in the future, his decision to withdraw from the current race signifies the end of his bid for re-election. The political landscape in the 1st Congressional District of New York remains uncertain as candidates from various parties vie for the seat.
