Disgraced former Rep. George Santos announced on Tuesday that he is suspending his long shot comeback bid to represent New York’s 1st Congressional District. Santos believes that his challenge to incumbent Republican Rep. Nick LaLota would “all but guarantee” a Democrat takes the seat in November.
“I want to clarify that my decision to run is not meant as a retaliation against Nick Lalota. While Nick and I have different voting records and I have been critical of his poor performance, I don’t want to divide the party and inadvertently give the Democrats an advantage,” explained Santos in a statement on X. Santos, who recently switched his party affiliation from Republican to independent, wants to ensure that his run for office is not misrepresented as a personal vendetta.
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LaLota has consistently downplayed Santos’ candidacy, going so far as to label his former colleague as an “embarrassment” and “one of the most bizarre people I have ever met.” However, he has also acknowledged that he will approach the race with a serious mindset.
Santos faced a historic vote in early December that resulted in his removal from the House. LaLota played a significant role in leading an internal campaign against him. Santos has pleaded not guilty to a range of charges, including wire fraud and aggravated identity theft.
During his time in office, the former congressman faced scandalous revelations about his background. He acknowledged lying or distorting certain aspects, although he argued that some details were merely embellishments commonly found on resumes.
Santos hinted on Tuesday that he is not finished with his political ambitions. Additionally, his account as a digital content creator on Cameo, where he sells personalized videos, is still up and running.
“I have had meetings with both leaders and constituents, and after careful consideration, I have come to the decision to withdraw from the race for this year,” he announced in his statement.
