In response to Democrat Tom Suozzi’s resounding victory in a special election heavily focused on border security, DNC Rapid Response Director Alex Floyd released the following statement:
“Tom Suozzi ran on a clear message of bipartisan solutions to secure the border against Republicans’ partisan political games that put Donald Trump over the American people – and proved pundits wrong once again, cruising to victory in this special election. Republicans continue to lose by running on Donald Trump’s extreme MAGA agenda that puts the American people last, while Democrats have seen win after win in off-year and midterm elections under President Biden. Tuesday’s results should be yet another warning sign for Trump and MAGA Republicans: Voters see through their political stunts and know that President Biden and Democrats are laser-focused on delivering real solutions for the American people – including securing the border.”
In NY-03, both parties talked about border security, but only Suozzi could make the case that Democrats have a plan while Republicans are all talk and no action when it comes to securing the border.
NBC News: “A decisive victory Tuesday for Tom Suozzi flipped a bellwether New York House district into the Democratic column, thinning an already small House GOP majority and potentially offering a preview of the campaign tactics in 2024 battleground races nationally. … Republicans went all-in on the issue of immigration as their ticket to victory — and fell short.”
HuffPost: “Suozzi affirmed his commitment to border security in two TV ads, and in the final days of the campaign, slammed Pilip for opposing a bipartisan Senate deal to shore up the border after Trump warned that it would benefit Biden. What’s more, Suozzi and his allies were apparently able to get the latter point across without the benefit of advertising and direct mail.”
New York Times: “When Ms. Pilip rejected a bipartisan Senate deal to boost deportations and fortify the border, Mr. Suozzi turned the tables, arguing that she was putting base politics above national security.”
CNN: “Many voters in the swing district pointed to immigration as a top issue, something that could also be true for voters across the country during this year’s general election. … Suozzi argued that he was the only person offering solutions in the race and criticized some Republicans in Congress for killing a bipartisan deal on the border.”
Wall Street Journal: “Democrat Tom Suozzi won a special election Tuesday on Long Island, flipping a seat in Congress from the GOP and sending a signal that his party can withstand Republican attacks on immigration in swing districts far from the border.”
NPR: “This race was dominated by GOP attacks on immigration. Republicans spent more than $8 million on campaign ads in this race, a huge number for a special congressional election. They hammered Democrat Tom Suozzi on immigration on the airwaves. Republican Mazi Pilip even held rallies near a makeshift tent city in Queens that houses migrants. … Democrats showed they can defend themselves on this issue.”
Washington Post: “The victory also validated Suozzi’s decision to invest heavily in countering the GOP on immigration, suggesting that Democrats in tight races can benefit from talking tougher on the border and highlighting Republicans’ abrupt abandonment of a bipartisan deal on the matter negotiated in Congress.”
The NY-03 special election was framed as a preview of this November, with border security as a top issue on the ballot.
HuffPost: “Race To Succeed George Santos Tests Both Parties’ Immigration Messages”
Washington Post: “Immigration heats up N.Y. special election, testing Democrats’ tougher talk”
Fox News: “The election is seen as a bellwether ahead of the all-but-certain November White House rematch between President Biden and former President Donald Trump.”
Spectrum News: “Immigration, reform push become flashpoint in NY-03 special election”
Politico: “GOP puts Dems on defensive over border security in bellwether special election”
NBC News: “Republicans see immigration and border security as a potential weak spot for Democratic nominee Tom Suozzi.”
New York Times: “[Suozzi] pitched himself as a pragmatic deal-maker and sharply criticized Ms. Pilip for her opposition to a bipartisan Senate bill that would have clamped down on asylum claims and closed the border if there were too many attempted crossings.”
House Republicans remain more focused on bending the knee to Donald Trump, baseless impeachment shams, and childish infighting than securing the border.
New York Times: “Republicans Against Border Enforcement”
Rolling Stone: “Border Patrol Supports ‘Strong’ Immigration Deal. Republicans Don’t Care”
CNN: “The border compromise would represent a dramatic change of immigration law on lines many Republicans have long supported. … The Mayorkas impeachment effort … will have zero practical impact on the crisis at the southern border.”
CNN: “Trump, who is hoping to make immigration a key plank of his presidential campaign, has suggested on Truth Social that approving additional resources for the border would make Republicans ‘look bad.’”
Vox: “Trump made this clear when he reportedly urged Republicans in Congress to turn against the bipartisan Senate border security bill scheduled for a vote Wednesday so that he could keep the issue alive through the presidential election. His supporters have largely fallen in line.”
Trump: “I think [Republicans] are making a terrible mistake if they vote for the bill.”
Trump: “Please blame it on me.”
House Republicans showed once again last night they are just another arm of Donald Trump’s campaign.
HuffPost: “House GOP Impeaches DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas — Just To Help Trump”
Politico: “As Republicans accuse Mayorkas of grossly mishandling the border, Johnson is actively refusing to consider the Senate’s bipartisan deal to ramp up border security.”
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