Speaker Johnson says Suozzi victory is not a bellwether for November

Democrat Tom Suozzi won a special election in New York, Tuesday, Feb. 13, giving Democrats another seat in the House of Representatives and further shrinking the Republican’s majority. Once Suozzi is sworn in, the House will have 219 Republicans and 213 Democrats. 

The new balance of power means Republicans will only be able to lose two votes any time they want to pass legislation along party lines. 

House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., gave multiple reasons why Republican Mazi Melesa Pilip lost, and said her loss is not indicative of what will happen in the 2024 general election this November. 

“That is in no way a bellwether of what’s going to happen this fall,” Johnson told reporters. “We are absolutely convinced. I’ve been to 17 states in the last 12 weeks. I’m telling you, whether I’m out west, on Long Island, the deep south, mid-South, Midwest, it doesn’t matter. There is a fervor among Americans and it is bipartisan. People know that this country is on the wrong track.”

Johnson said Suozzi won for multiple reasons: Suozzi previously held the seat, Democrats spent $15 million on the race and bad weather on the day of voting hurt Republican turn out.

“The result last night is not something in my view that Democrats should celebrate,” Johnson said. “They spent about $15 million to win a seat that President Biden won by eight points, they won it by less than eight points. Their candidate ran like a Republican. He sounded like a Republican talking about the border and immigration.” 

Democrats said they believe Suozzi won because he has a proven ability to work across the aisle. They also said their party was far more productive when they had the House majority from 2020 to 2022. 

“I think that’s the lesson here is whatever Donald Trump says is where House Republicans are going to land,” Rep. Pete Aguilar, D-Calif., said. “And so from our perspective, people like Tom Suozzi and members who have a track record on these issues have leaned in and will continue to lean in on being problem-solvers, working in a bipartisan way. That’s what the public wants us to do.”

“The American people want a change,” Rep. Ted Lieu, D-Calif said. “They want a Congress that actually does something. This is a completely do-nothing Congress in the hands of the Republicans and the American people want to have us work on kitchen table, economic issues.” 

Republicans lost this seat after former Rep. George Santos was expelled, and they lost other seats that remain vacant due to retirements and resignations, including former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s.