BREAKING: George Santos is running for reelection. Yes, really.

After three scandal-plagued months with absolutely no legislative accomplishments under his belt, zero record of doing anything to help the constituents of his district, and a campaign bleeding money, George Santos announced via press release Monday afternoon that he will be running for reelection in New York’s 3rd Congressional District.

The announcement wasn’t a shock after an anonymous source told the NY Post on Saturday that Monday would be the big day, but there was still some doubt that this man would really have the chutzpah to do it. But what George lacks in respect, he more than makes up for in unmitigated gall. 

It’s also not a particularly surprising move coming from a guy who is incapable of feeling shame: not for denying life-saving medical care for a homeless veteran’s dying dog; not for aligning himself with bigots who provoke violence against drag queens when he himself has a history of doing drag; not for fabricating an entire personal biography and using it to get elected to Congress. And so here we are, 19 months before Election Day 2024, giving George the only thing he knows how to get: attention. 

In a statement today, New York State Democratic Committee Jay Jacobs said: “George Santos is 16 days late. April Fools' Day was on the first of this month, and that would have been a more appropriate date to announce his reelection campaign.” It’s a pretty rich comment coming from Jacobs who himself has become something of a joke in local politics, with widespread calls for him to step down after Santos’ mortifying win and Democratic losses across the state.

The sad part is that Santos’ reelection bid will only turn out well for one person: himself. If he somehow manages to win, his constituents will continue to be represented by a fraud. If he loses, he’ll parlay his fame and notoriety into a lucrative right wing cable news deal or a book deal or both. He’ll become the proud mascot of the modern GOP, which eschews experience, intellect and talent for unscrupulousness, cunning and malice. 

If Santos is primaried and loses, it will no doubt be to a Trump-loving blowhard who stands a real chance of winning in an ever-reddening district. And the most high-profile name floating around for Dems right now is Tom Suozzi, who gave up the seat Santos now holds to make a losing bid for Governor. He didn’t do anything meaningful in his previous six years of service, and there’s no evidence he has the desire to do anything differently should he run and be elected once more. 

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: The people of NY-03 deserve so much more. That’s the reason I got hooked into this sordid saga to begin with. Having grown up there and still having so many loved ones in the district, I know that better representation is possible. But unfortunately local leaders have a different philosophy, continually leaving these voters without a powerful voice in Washington.

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