Democrat Tom Suozzi is pressing Republican Mazi Melesa Pilip to appear in more than one debate before New York’s 3rd Congressional District special election on Feb. 13.
This seems like a good idea given the reason for the election – the expulsion of Republican Congressman George Santos from the House after he was elected to represent the 3rd District by lying to Nassau and Queens voters about almost everything involving himself.
Santos went on to be charged 23 times by federal prosecutors and accused of numerous violations that may have included federal crimes by the House Ethics Committee.
Another good reason for Pilip to debate Suozzi more than once is that little is known about her views on national issues.
She is currently scheduled to only debate Suozzi on New Channel 12 five days before the election, after voting has already started, in a telecast that voters in Queens will not be able to see.
Pilip had served just two years in the Nassau County Legislature before being picked by the county Republican Party to oppose Suozzi, who served eight years as county executive and six as the congressman for the 3rd district.
Unlike Suozzi, Pilip has issued no policy statements and had generally used generic Republican talking points in the early days of the campaign.
These have included her promise to “secure the border, support the police & stop the extreme agenda of Biden & The Squad,” as she said in one tweet.
Or that she will focus “on the economy, fighting inflation, securing our borders, creating jobs and protecting our communities,” as she said in another tweet.
She has also pledged her full support of Israel in its war with Hamas without explaining what that means.
Nor has she been challenged face-to-face to explain her views by Suozzi or debate moderators.
Suozzi’s campaign has been questioning Pilip’s stances on a national abortion ban after she told Jewish Insider in an interview weeks ago it was a “very personal decision.”
“I am a religious person, I have seven children, so I am pro-life,” Pilip told Jewish Insider. “However, I’m not going to push my own beliefs on any woman. Therefore, I’m not going to support a national abortion ban.”
Does that mean Pilip would support codifying Roe v. Wade to allow abortions based on viability or 15 weeks as has been proposed by some Republican officials or even six weeks as Florida has approved?
Many voters would certainly like the answer to that.
Suozzi’s campaign is also calling for her to address her stance on assault weapons and whether or not she voted for President Donald Trump in the 2020 election.
Also unanswered are Pilip’s views on the many criminal charges faced by Trump in his campaign for the Republican presidential nomination.
Do voters only need to know her biography as an Orthodox Jew who emigrated with her family from Ethiopia to Israel, served as a gunsmith in an Israeli Defense Forces paratrooper unit and attended the University of Haifa and Tel Avis University?
We don’t think so.
Another reason why Pilip should participate in one debate are the high stakes in the election.
With Republicans holding a narrow edge in the House, the election between Suozzi and Pilip could determine control of that body at a time that funding of Israel, Ukraine, the Far East and the southern border is at stake.
Perhaps even more important is what that control could mean to the next presidential election and even the fate of democracy in the United States.
More than two-thirds of House Republicans voted against certifying the 2020 presidential election in a bid to overturn the results – at a time when Democrats controlled that body.
The Suozzi campaign said he has accepted invitations from three other television networks: NBC 4 New York/Telemundo 47, WABC and NY-1/WNYC.
The League of Women Voters of Port Washington-Manhasset said it could not hold a candidate forum because Pilip did not respond to their request.
Bill Cutrone, president of the Lakeville Estates Civic Association, initially announced that Pilip would appear in a debate with Suozzi on Jan. 11 at Clinton G. Martin Park in New Hyde Park.
But he was later told there had been “miscommunication” between him and the Pilip team and Suozzi would appear alone in a meet-and-greet.
The association represents 18,000 homeowners in communities such as New Hyde Park, Manhasset Hills, Herricks and Garden City Park.
NewsdayTV said last week it was in discussions with both campaigns for a possible debate event later this month.
Brian Devine, who has taken a leave as director of communications for Republican North Hempstead Town Supervisor Jennnifer DeSena to serve as a spokesman for Pilip’s campaign, said the GOP’s candidate had declined offers from those networks because of scheduling conflicts.
That’s not good enough. We would like Devine to explain what was more important to the Pilip campaign than participating in debates to help voters learn where she stands on the issues and how she will handle herself when those positions are challenged.
Nassau Republicans said they subjected Pilip to extensive scrutiny, including by three outside research firms, before making her their choice.
Party leaders said they had done so to avoid backing another nominee like Santos, who they endorsed in both 2020 in an unsuccessful race against Suozzi and the 2022 election when he defeated Democrat Robert Zimmerman.
“Having reviewed those records, we feel comfortable that they have done a complete background check,” Joseph Cairo Jr., the Nassau Republican chairman, told The New York Times. “We know everything we need to know about Mazi.”
So should voters.
It is also not clear if the GOP’s background checks included her views on issues.
In 2022, the party selected Santos after he attended the Stop the Steal rally on Jan. 6 that led to an assault on the Capitol intended to overturn the presidential election and then claimed to have given financial assistance to those who participated in the attack.
Word of advice to the Nassau County Republican Party: A person who supports overturning a presidential election might not have a problem with violating campaign finance laws – a charge Santos now faces.
Trump, who orchestrated the assault on the Capitol, has set a bad example for Pilip by refusing to participate in every Republican Party presidential debate and forum this year.
Two of Trump’s challengers, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, have accused Trump of “cowardice” in refusing to square off with other candidates.
But Trump continues to dominate the Republican field.
There is another very good way for voters to learn the views of Pilip and Suozzi – in interviews with local newspapers.
Blank Slate Media spoke to Suozzi on Tuesday morning via Zoom with no preconditions.
A story appears this week in all six editions of the paper as well as its website, archive.theisland360.com. A recording of the debate can also be viewed on the company’s YouTube account, which can be reached via the website.
Blank Slate Media has extended an invitation to Pilip’s campaign under the same circumstances. She accepted our invitation when running for re-election to the Legislature. We hope she accepts now.
The campaigns for both Suozzi and Pilip are expected to spend millions in advertising in newspapers, direct mail, cable television and social media.
This is a legitimate way to campaign. But what’s missing from those messages is an opportunity for the other side to respond and fact-check what is being said.
Nassau and Queens voters and officials in the last New York 3rd District election became a national laughingstock after newspapers reported on all of Santos’ lies after his election.
They should now insist that they know in advance who the candidates are and where they stand on the issues.
There is too much at stake for the district and the country for a candidate to provide anything less than full disclosure.