WASHINGTON — Embattled Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., declared Tuesday that he will run for reelection in 2024 in a letter to the Federal Election Commission, despite strong opposition by the Nassau County Republican Party.
Santos filed a statement of candidacy, indicating he will run and will not disavow or return the contributions already given for his 2024 campaign, and designated Devolder-Santos for Congress as his official campaign finance committee.
Santos has not officially announced his intention of running, but by filing his statement of candidacy with the FEC he can continue to raise campaign funds while a final decision is made.
Last week, when CNN asked if he’d run for office again, he said, “Maybe.” He acknowledged some Republican members of Congress have urged to him not to run again. The Republican congressmen representing Long Island have urged him to resign.
Joe Murray, Santos’ attorney, did not respond to a request for a comment.
The statement of candidacy by Santos, who represents parts of Queens and Nassau counties in New York’s 3rd Congressional District, will set off a search for a Republican candidate to defeat him in the primary next year and a scramble among an expected crowded field of Democrats for their party’s nomination for the seat.
Santos, who was sworn into office in January, is facing multiple investigations into his fundraising activities and other issues by the Justice Department, the House Ethics Committee and the New York state attorney general.
Nassau County Republican Chairman Joseph G. Cairo Jr. vowed to block Santos from winning a second term.
“He will not receive the Nassau GOP’s endorsement for reelection in 2024. If he decides to run, we will oppose and beat him,” Cairo said in a statement Monday.
“He has no place in public service,” Cairo added, “and I again call on him to do the very first honorable thing in his Congressional career — resign!”
Jay Jacobs, the chairman of the Democratic committees for Nassau County and New York state, did not immediately respond to a query.
Santos triggered an FEC deadline by accepting contributions for the 2024 election in December that exceeded the FEC’s $5,000 threshold that effectively makes him a candidate under federal election law.
Financial disclosures filed by the Devolder-Santos for Congress fundraising committee in January show that Santos’ campaign reported no debts, but did receive nearly a dozen contributions.
The FEC said Santos had until March 14 to “either disavow these activities by notifying the Commission in writing that you are not a candidate, or redesignate your principal campaign committee by filing a Statement of Candidacy.”
Santos had balked when asked by reporters if he plans on running again, telling reporters in January, “That’s too early. I told you, I just got here.”
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