As Rebecca wrote today, Rep. George Santos (R-NY) is no more. He’s gone, becoming the sixth member expelled after ethical and legal fiascos engulfed his short, but stormy tenure on the Hill. Over 300 members of the House voted to boot him, more than the two-thirds requirement necessary:
On Friday morning, the House of Representatives successfully voted to expel now former Rep. George Santos (R-NY), after previous attempts that had failed. Ultimately, the vote was 311-114, clearing the necessary two-thirds requirement by a healthy margin.
Almost as many Republicans voted to expel Santos as did not, with 105 voting to do so and 112 voting to not. House Republican leadership voted against expulsion, but many New York Republican freshman, including those also from Long Island, were among Santos' fiercest critics.
Yet, as if this nonsense circus hasn’t been rowdy enough, here comes Democratic New York Kathy Hochul, claiming she has the power to appoint Santos’ replacement.
I am prepared to undertake the solemn responsibility of filling the vacancy in New York’s 3rd District.
— Governor Kathy Hochul (@GovKathyHochul) December 1, 2023
The people of Long Island deserve nothing less.
“I am prepared to undertake the solemn responsibility of filling the vacancy in New York’s 3rd District. The people of Long Island deserve nothing less,” her account tweeted.
She does not have that power. There needs to be a special election—holy hell, lady. And yes, she’s getting wrecked for that post, and rightfully so. Does anyone on her staff know the protocols here (via Axios):
I’m well aware that you don’t know how a lot of stuff works, but you do realize you can either look it up or ask someone, right?!?!
— Stephanie 🇺🇸 (@StephHoover8) December 1, 2023
The Constitution requires that vacancies must be filled by special election.
The voters will decide who the next congress person will be. You have to call a special election.
— Lattina Brown, MPA 🇯🇲 (@LattinaBrown) December 1, 2023
"filling the vacancy"
— Jim Stinson (@jimstinson) December 1, 2023
???
Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) was expelled from Congress on Friday, which means a special election will soon be scheduled to fill the vacancy in New York's third Congressional district.
Why it matters: Democrats are vying to re-claim a district that President Biden carried in 2020, while Republicans are hoping to keep the seat that Santos flipped.
New York House seats have also become an unusual battleground for a favorably blue state, in part due to redistricting. Democrats have cited midterm losses in the state as contributing to Republicans narrowly gaining the House majority.
[…]
The contents of an Ethics Committee report — which found that Santos "blatantly stole" from his campaign — caused several lawmakers who had previously voted against his expulsion to change their tune.