George Santos Announces Candidacy for Return to Congress

Former Representative George Santos (R-N.Y.) visited the House chamber to attend the State of the Union last night. Despite being expelled in December 2023, Santos is able to access the House floor as a former member due to not being convicted of the more than 20 federal charges pending against him. If convicted, Santos could be banned from accessing the House floor.

During the State of the Union, Santos announced on X, “Tonight, I want to announce that I will be returning to the arena of politics and challenging Nick for the battle over #NY1. I look forward to debating him on the issues and on his weak record as a Republican. The fight for our majority is imperative for the survival of the country.”

Santos submitted his statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission yesterday, and will challenge incumbent Representative Nick LaLota (R-N.Y.) for the New York 1st congressional district seat.

LaLota responded to the announcement, stating on X, “To raise the standard in Congress, and to hold a pathological liar who stole an election accountable, I led the charge to expel George Santos. If finishing the job requires beating him in a primary, count me in.”