New York GOP leader says ‘no appetite’ for Santos in new election bid

(WASHINGTON) — Embattled former Rep. George Santos, who was expelled from Congress in December, has announced that he’s once again running for the House — but, Republican leadership in the Long Island district he’s eyeing told ABC News on Friday that there is “no appetite” for Santos.

Santos announced on X that he would run again after joining his former colleagues in the House for President Joe Biden’s State of the Union address. Despite being ousted from the job, Santos maintains the ability to appear on the floor as any prior member does.

“After a lot of prayer and conversation with my friends and family, I have made a very important decision that will shake things up. Tonight, I want to announce that I will be returning to the arena of politics and challenging Nick for the battle over #NY1. I look forward to debating him on the issues and on his weak record as a Republican. The fight for our majority is imperative for the survival of the country,” Santos wrote Thursday.

A corresponding candidacy filing with the Federal Elections Commission was submitted Thursday as well. There are no rules prohibiting an ousted member of Congress from running again.

This time, Santos will challenge Republican Rep. Nick LaLota in New York’s 1st District, which neighbors the congressional district he previously represented, New York’s 3rd District.

The leader of the Suffolk County GOP, the arm of the Republican Party in the congressional district where Santos is running, told ABC News that the embattled congressman won’t be taken seriously.

“The people have no appetite for this bad comedy show to continue,” Suffolk County GOP Chairman Jesse Garcia said in a statement to ABC News.

“His candidacy and whatever petitions he might file will have the same level of credibility as the degree he said he claimed to have received from Baruch College,” Garcia said.

Garcia said LaLota is a better candidate for the district, he added.

“Nick LaLota is a common sense conservative and naval veteran who continues to fight for the hard-working families of Long Island,” Garcia said. “I’m confident the people of the First District will continue to overwhelmingly support him at the ballot box.”

In his announcement, Santos called LaLota an “empty suit.”

“New York hasn’t had a real conservative represent them since I left office arbitrarily, thanks to RINO, empty suits like @nicklalota. He is a [sic] willing to risk the future of our majority and the future of this country for his own political gain,” Santos wrote.

LaLota responded via X, quickly dismissing Santos’ credibility while vowing to take him on.

“To raise the standard in Congress, and to hold a pathological liar who stole an election accountable, I led the charge to expel George Santos. If finishing the job requires beating him in a primary, count me in,” LaLota said in a post on X Thursday night.

Part of the same freshman class of representatives as Santos, LaLota was one of the first Republicans to call for a House Ethics Committee investigation into the embattled former congressman, which ultimately led to Santos’ historic expulsion from the chamber. Santos was the first House member to be expelled in more than 20 years.

Santos has pleaded not guilty to 23 federal charges. Before his ouster, he called the bipartisan report from the House Ethics Committee that alleged the New York congressman “placed his desire for private gain above his duty to uphold the Constitution, federal law, and ethical principles” a “politicized smear.”

Democrat Rep. Tom Suozzi recently won back the seat left vacant by Santos’ departure. Suozzi previously represented New York’s 1st District for three terms before stepping away to launch a failed bid for governor.

ABC News’ Nicolas Kerr contributed to this report.