In a significant development, former U.S. Representative George Santos has announced his withdrawal from the race for the 1st Congressional District in New York. This announcement comes months after Santos was expelled from the House of Representatives following the revelation of multiple federal fraud charges against him.
Initially running as an independent candidate, Santos’s campaign had faced challenges. His campaign committee reported no fundraising or expenditures in March, raising questions about its viability. Furthermore, Santos had recently changed his party affiliation from Republican to independent, citing differences in voting records with his former colleague, Nick LaLota.
In a post on the social media platform X, Santos explained his decision to withdraw, stating that he did not want to split the Republican vote and potentially hand victory to the Democrats. Santos’s announcement follows a damaging ethics committee report that found “overwhelming evidence” of wrongdoing and deemed him “untrustworthy.” Subsequently, Santos was expelled from the House in December, becoming only the sixth member to face such a consequence in history.
Despite the charges against him, Santos has pleaded not guilty and has a trial tentatively scheduled for later this year. Although he has withdrawn from the current congressional race, Santos hinted at potential future political aspirations in his X post, stating, “It’s only goodbye for now. I’ll be back.”
