11 months ago
NEW YORK — The Republican candidate for Congress in a crucial Long Island special election introduced herself to voters Friday by describing her military service in Israel and with a Star of David on her necklace.
For Mazi Melesa Pilip, being Jewish is central to her identity.
For the district she seeks to represent, solidarity with Israel is a top priority.
“I stand strong with our communities in support of Israel, Ukraine and all nations that are subjects of terrorism,” Pilip said to applause and cheers at a Nassau County rally packed with supporters.
Her nomination by New York Republicans sets the stage for the Feb. 13 special election to fill the seat vacated by ousted Rep. George Santos.
Pilip, a Nassau County legislator, will face off against Democratic former Rep. Tom Suozzi in a district that’s home to an influential Jewish population — many of whom were offended by Santos’ lies about being descended from Holocaust survivors.
Both candidates are staunch supporters of Israel; Suozzi noted Friday in a statement that he opposes conditions on aid to the Jewish state.
The race in the battleground that could determine control of the House in 2025 is also a bellwether for how the Israel-Hamas war will factor into next year’s presidential election. Whether Suozzi’s unwavering backing of Israel leads younger, more liberal voters to sit out the election — rather than support him — could foreshadow how President Joe Biden will fare on the issue.
“There’s not an inch of daylight between Suozzi and Pilip on support for Israel,” Lawrence Levy, executive dean of the National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University, said in an interview. “But the Democratic Party is seeing younger voters at odds with Israel.”
A spokesperson for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee told POLITICO in a statement, “Both candidates have reflected the overwhelming bipartisan support for Israel’s fight to remove Hamas from Gaza.” AIPAC did not respond to questions about whether it would spend money on or endorse in the special election.
On Friday, Republicans in Pilip’s corner sought to show, however, that there are distinctions between her and Suozzi.
“Our party is going to nominate an immigrant, a woman of color, a woman who is deeply religious, a woman who is a fighter, a woman who loves America,” Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, the first Jewish person to hold that post, said in introducing her.
Pilip, an Ethiopian-born mother of seven, delivered short, prepared remarks at her rally, then was rushed out of the venue and into a waiting car.
The tactical exit left others from her party — a distinctly white and male representation — fielding reporters’ questions on her behalf.
“We’ve had the opportunity as the majority to shine a light on those in Congress who have been far too long in the dark, wearing a mask, as complete antisemites and that’s why we need someone like Mazi,” Rep. Anthony D’Esposito said in an interview, predicting that Pilip would be The Squad’s “worst nightmare.”
New York Republicans made repeated references to Suozzi jesting on MSNBC in 2019 that he wanted to be an honorary member of the progressive clique that includes Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, even if he didn’t always agree with them.
Pilip was elected to local office as a Republican but is an enrolled Democrat, POLITICO reported.
The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee alleged Republicans are trying to hide their candidate. “MAGA extremist Mazi Melesa Pilip can’t have a staffer or GOP officials intervene every time the going gets tough,” DCCC spokesperson Ellie Dougherty said in a statement.
Suozzi, for his part, said Friday in a statement to POLITICO that he steadfastly supports Israel as the war with Hamas enters a third month.
“I unequivocally stand with our ally Israel and the Jewish community,” he said. “In Congress, I signed onto every major letter and piece of legislation that came my way to strengthen the U.S.-Israel relationship, bolster Israel’s regional security, and combat antisemitism.”
Suozzi’s higher national profile and congressional experience strike a contrast with the lesser-known Pilip, who didn’t throw her hat into the ring until now and who has not been made widely available for interviews after her nomination.
Pilip’s allies boast that her backstory — airlifted from Ethiopia into Israel as part of Operation Solomon, served in the Israeli Defense Forces as a paratrooper and married to a doctor of Ukrainian-Jewish descent — fits the political moment.
Levy of Hofstra noted that the 3rd Congressional District has one of the largest Jewish populations of any New York suburb.
“It has particularly fast-growing Orthodox communities that are a very reliable part of the Republican base,” he said. “But Jewish voters overall still tend to support Democrats.”
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