Disgraced former Rep. George Santos, who announced in early March that he was challenging his one-time Long Island colleague Rep. Nick LaLota (R-Rocky Point) in the primary race for New York’s first congressional district, has now announced that he will run in the race as an independent.
Santos was expelled from the House of Representatives on Dec. 1. It was the third vote held to expel him, and it came after the House Ethics Committee had found evidence that Santos had committed federal crimes relating to campaign finance. He currently faces 23 charges of that nature.
Earlier this month, Santos announced that he was challenging LaLota in the Republican primary for LaLota’s seat, and had been emphasizing a particular personal disdain for LaLota.
However, on March 22 Santos wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter, that he was leaving the Republican Party and would instead run as an independent.
“The Republican Party continues to lie and swindle its voter base,” Santos wrote. “I in good conscience cannot affiliate myself with a party that stands for nothing and falls for everything. I am officially suspending my petitioning in #NY01 to access the ballot as a Republican and will be filling to run as an independent… I will take my Ultra MAGA/Trump supporting values to the ballot in November as an Independent.”
If Santos gets on the ballot, this makes NY-01 a three way race between Santos, LaLota, and former CNN anchor John Avlon, who announced his campaign on the Democratic side in February.
