Santos Withdraws From Congressional Run
Former Rep. George Santos (R-NY) announced that he would be withdrawing from an independent bid in an effort to return to Congress. The announcement came as the former representative faces criminal charges over alleged campaign fraud.
The former representative ended his bid to represent New York’s 3rd Congressional District running as an independent. Santos made the announcement this week, stating that he did not want to “split the ticket” in November’s race and hand the House of Representatives to the Democratic Party.
“Staying in this race all but guarantees a victory for the Dems in the race,” he said.
“I have meet [sic] with leaders and with constituents and I have made the decision to hang it up here and stop perusing this race, THIS YEAR!” he said.
“The future holds countless possibilities and I am ready willing and able to step up to the plate and go fight for my country at anytime [sic],” said Santos.
The representative Santos said that he would remain within the public sphere to “participate in the public policy discussion” and would “do his part.”
The former representative teased a possible return to politics, saying it was “only goodbye for now.”
“I’ll be back,” he wrote.
A recent report indicated that Santos raised exactly $0 in his newest congressional bid.
🚨Announcement!
I have decided to withdraw from my independent run for #NY1…
I don’t want my run to be portrayed as reprisal against Nick Lalota… Although Nick and I don’t have the same voting record and I remain critical of his abysmal record, I don’t want to split the…
— George Santos (@MrSantosNY) April 23, 2024
Santos was elected to a single term in Congress in 2022. However, since his election, he has received considerable national attention due to possibly false stories and alleged campaign fraud.
The House Ethics Committee investigated Santos over reports that he used thousands of dollars donated to his campaign for personal uses, including Botox and OnlyFans. Santos denies all charges.
The former representative was expelled by the House late last year following the House Ethics Report. The move narrowed the small Republican House majority, which has become skinnier due to a number of recent retirements.
