Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi announced Monday he will run for governor of New York, spurning a 2022 reelection bid in which Republicans are favored to win a House majority.
The Long Island lawmaker, first elected to the House in 2016, will challenge Gov. Kathy Hochul for the gubernatorial nomination. Hochul took over for Andrew Cuomo on Aug. 24 after he resigned amid sexual harassment scandals. Hochul is running in 2022 for a full, four-year term as New York governor and also faces a Democratic primary challenge from state Attorney General Letitia James.
Suozzi on Monday cast himself as a practical problem-solver.
“It’s not about going to the far left or the far right, it’s about solving problems we face,” said Suozzi, a former Nassau County executive, during a virtual press conference on Monday. “It’s not about being politically correct, it’s about doing the correct thing.”
Suozzi’s departure from the House will leave open a district where in 2020, President Joe Biden beat Donald Trump 54%-44%. However, the North Shore Long Island district could get significantly redrawn, or even eliminated, in the upcoming round of redistricting. State Democrats control the process, and with New York losing a House seat due to lackluster population growth, they’re looking to make its House delegation 23 Democrats and three Republicans.
That would in part offset aggressive Republican gerrymanders in states such as Ohio and North Carolina. House Republicans need to net five seats in the 435-member House to reclaim the majority they lost in 2018.
Although the midterm elections are nearly a year out, a recent GOP gubernatorial victory in Virginia, state legislative gains in New Jersey, and a sinking approval rating for Biden signal voters will lean toward Republicans next year. An additional hurdle for Democratic leadership seeking to maintain the majority is the growing number of current House Democrats who have either decided to retire or seek another office.
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Suozzi faces uncertain prospects in the gubernatorial race. Hochul is the Empire State’s incumbent and currently enjoys a strong lead in polls. James is another well-known Democrat seeking the office, and New York City’s outgoing and unpopular Mayor Bill de Blasio is also weighing entering the race.
Suozzi said he believes he can win over voters based on their confidence in his record, his centrist ideology, and his “vision for the future.”
Suozzi pointed to sky-high property and income taxes in New York as factors “stopping us from being successful,” in addition to regulations and crime.
“We need a leader who knows taxes are too high and why families are leaving our state,” he said.
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Suozzi’s announcement was widely expected, as he previously ran for governor in 2006, and he reportedly began weighing another run for governor after Cuomo’s resignation in late summer. Suozzi recently declined an offer from New York City Mayor-elect Eric Adams to serve as deputy mayor and teased a run for elected office instead.
Over the weekend, some political observers noticed Suozzi’s congressional campaign website was automatically redirecting visitors to a password-protected website that appeared to be renamed for a statewide campaign: suozziforny.com.
