Francis Chan/Politico/AP
George Santos is seen on the House floor just before his State of the Union address at the U.S. Capitol on March 7.
CNN
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Former Republican Rep. George Santos, who was expelled from the House last year and is facing federal charges, announced Thursday night that he is running for Congress again — this time against a Republican lawmaker in New York.
“Tonight, I would like to announce that I am returning to the political arena and challenging Nick to a fight. #NY1” Santos wrote in X, referring to Republican Congressman Nick Larota. “I look forward to discussing this issue and his weak record as a Republican with him. The fight to protect our nation's majorities is essential to our nation's survival.”
The former congressman, who represented New York's 3rd District, made the announcement during President Joe Biden's State of the Union address on Thursday, during which he was spotted at the U.S. Capitol.
Mr. Santos is running in the battleground New York state election, where multiple races are being held in the state that could decide the House majority, but he has personal concerns to challenge the incumbent in the June primary. Even if he puts his baggage aside, he will still face very tough odds in his bid to make a comeback.
LaRota immediately hit back at Santos' new bid on Thursday night. “To raise standards in Congress and to hold accountable the pathological liars who stole the election, I spearheaded the effort to oust George Santos. If I had to beat him in the primary to get the job done, I would , let me be a part of it,” Larota said.
Last fall, Mr. Larota introduced a resolution to expel the New York Republican from his party, saying he deserved “to go to jail.”
In his new campaign announcement, Santos referred to his former colleagues as “RINOs” (Republicans in Name Only). “New York has had no true conservative representation since I arbitrarily left office thanks to the RINOs. @nikralota” he wrote to X.
A crowded Democratic field has come together to flip New York's 1st District, which is rated lean and Republican by Inside Elections, led by Nathan L. Gonzalez.
Former CNN commentator John Avlon and Stony Brook University professor emeritus Nancy Goroff, who lost the 2020 House race, are among the leading candidates on the Democratic side.
“Try it,” Mr. Avlon said in a statement Thursday night in response to Mr. Santos' new campaign.
The Santos Congressional faction also filed organizational documents with the Federal Election Commission on Thursday night, announcing its intention to run in the 1st District. The campaign's new filing reveals the return of a treasurer who previously worked for Santos.
Santos became the sixth lawmaker to be expelled from the chamber. Separately, he has pleaded not guilty to 23 federal charges, including fraud related to COVID-19 unemployment benefits, misappropriation of campaign funds, and lying about personal finances in a House disclosure report. did.
This story has been updated with additional information.
CNN's Haley Talbot contributed to this report.
