NEW YORK — Democrat Tom Suozzi was sworn in Wednesday to replace former Congressman George Santos, representing Long Island and Queens’ 3rd congressional district.
Suozzi’s victory in the recent special election cuts into House Republicans’ already slim majority.
Democrats now have 16 seats in New York, with Republicans holding 10. However, with the newly drawn congressional maps, Democratic officials believe the maps will yield 18 safe seats for their party, six for the Republicans and two toss-ups.
Watch: Tom Suozzi on The Point with Marcia Kramer
Suozzi’s district will skew more Democratic, though not dramatically. He is set to lose Republican-leaning Massapequa, Huntington Station, Cold Spring Harbor, and Lloyd Harbor.
This all means he will have a higher likelihood of reelection come November.
Suozzi took the Oath of Office on the House floor. In his speech, he vowed to work with members on both sides of the aisle.
“Enough with the theater and the drama, enough with the hyperbole and the histrionics, enough of the shutdowns and the putdowns. The people aren’t paying us to make things worse. The people pay us to be in the solutions business,” Suozzi said.
Watch Suozzi being sworn in
Suozzi represented New York’s 3rd congressional district for three terms before surrendering his seat to run for governor in 2022.
CBS New York’s Political Reporter Marcia Kramer was in Washington, D.C. for the swearing-in and will have a full wrap-up on CBS2 News at 11 p.m.
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