Santos says he will run in 2024 even if he’s expelled from House

Congressman George Santos (R-N.Y.) said he will run again for his seat in 2024, even if he is expelled from the House of Representatives. 

The embattled congressman told CNN chief congressional correspondent Manu Raju during an interview for “Inside Politics Sunday” that he will run for reelection, despite mounting legal troubles and previous revelations that he fabricated a large part of his background. 

The New York lawmaker said he will “absolutely” run for reelection, even as he faces the possibility of being expelled. Though the vote to expel him from Congress failed Wednesday evening, the House Ethics Committee could still direct the lower chamber to take such a step.

The Republican congressman still faces an investigation from the committee, which has said it would announce the next steps by Nov. 17. He also still faces a criminal trial on 23 federal counts, a trial that is set for September 2024.

Santos pleaded not guilty to those 23 counts, 13 of which were filed in a May indictment and 10 of which come from a superseding indictment filed in October.

During the CNN interview, Santos said that his constituents elected him not based on his biography but because he would fight to create more jobs, lower inflation and make their lives better. 

“Nobody knew my biography,” Santos said. “Nobody opened my biography who voted for me in the campaign.” 

“Nobody elected me because I played volleyball or not,” referring to past misconceptions in his past. “Nobody elected me because I graduated college or not. People elected me because I said I’d come here to fight the swamp, I’d come here to lower inflation, create more jobs, make life more affordable, and the commitment to America. That’s why people voted for anybody.” 

An effort led by fellow New York Republicans to oust Santos on Wednesday fell far short of the two-thirds threshold required to expel a member. The House voted against the motion 213-179-19.

Santos is confident he can secure the nomination in the Biden-district primary and eventually win the general election to again represent the 3rd Congressional District, he said, because “there’s no predetermined outcome.” 

“Could I have won the general election last time?” Santos said. “Nobody said I could. But I survived.”  

Candidates have already begun to line up to unseat Santos in his district next year, including his predecessor, former Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-N.Y.). Suozzi ran for New York governor and lost in 2022, clearing the way for Santos to represent New York’s 3rd Congressional District.