Republican Mazi Pilip nabbed a dozen endorsements from police and corrections officer unions Friday ahead of next week’s Long Island and Queens special House election that appears to be neck-and-neck coming down the stretch.
The endorsements from unions in NYC, Suffolk County and Nassau County could be key for Pilip in her fight against Democrat Tom Suozzi to fill the 3rd Congressional District seat, which was vacated by the Dec. 1 expulsion of lying Rep. George Santos.
“I want to thank the men and women of law enforcement for placing their trust in me,” Pilip said in a statement.
“Now, more than ever, our police need the support of the public and of public officials. I have always stood with law enforcement, and I will continue to do so in Congress.”
Recent polls have Pilip and Suozzi in a statistical dead heat, with pundits saying the Feb. 13 result will come down to which party gets the most people out to vote in the special election, which typically features lower turnout than in a regular midterm or presidential election.
“Mazi Melesa Pilip is the right person at the right time, when we need strong, unwavering support of law enforcement more than ever,” said NYPD Detectives’ Endowment Association President Paul DiGiacomo, joining the Lieutenants Benevolent Association in backing the Republican.
Pilip now has the support of three of the Big Apple’s police unions after the Sergeants Benevolent Association publicly backed her last month.
Pilip and Suozzi arein a statistical dead heat, according to polls. AP
Pilip nabbed the endorsements just days before the special election. X / @NYCPDDEA
Tom Suozzi cast his vote in the election Friday. Ron Adar / M10s / SplashNews.comAlso supporting Pilip are the Nassau County police, detectives, superior offices and corrections unions, the Suffolk Council PBA, the Port Authority SBA, the Freeport PBA and the Lynbrook PBA
The NYPD’s Police Benevolent Association, the largest rank-and-file police union in the country, is not expected to pick a side in the race.
On Wednesday, Pilip also received the endorsement of the National Border Patrol Council, which represents 18,000 Border Patrol agents nationwide.
The Republican has successfully sought to make the ongoing migrant crisis that has strained New York’s resources an issue in the race, depicting Suozzi as a supporter of “sanctuary” for illegal immigrants and being in lockstep with President Biden’s lax border enforcement policies.
Suozzi, who represented the 3rd District for six years before resigning in 2022 to make an unsuccessful run for governor, has cast himself as a moderate problem-solver who worked with Republicans while in Congress on border security issues.
Read more of The Post’s coverage on the special election to replace George Santos:
Republican Mazi Pilip is running against former Rep. Tom Suozzi in the special election to replace George Santos in New York’s Third Congressional District. Gabriella Bass; Kevin C. Downs for NY Post“I’ll work across the aisle to do what our leaders haven’t — secure our border,” Suozzi said in an ad that hit airwaves last month. “Close the routes used for illegal immigration, but open paths to citizenship for those willing to follow the rules and pay a fee to help finance it all.”
Pilip’s final push includes a $1.35M ad that will be shown during Sunday’s Super Bowl that lambastes Suozzi as “soft on illegal immigration and tough on taxpayers.”
The 3rd District race is being closely watched nationally as an early sign of how the 2024 presidential election might go. Both Republicans and Democrats are also hoping to pick up a seat in the closely divided House of Representatives, which currently has 219 Republicans and 212 Democrats with four vacancies.
Both candidates went to the polls to vote early Friday, with Pilip casting her ballot in the morning in Massapequa and Suozzi doing the same at Glen Cove’s City Hall in the afternoon.
