Democrat candidate Tom Suozzi says those same police unions endorsed George Santos
LONG ISLAND, N.Y.—While Mazi Pilip, the Republican candidate for New York’s Third Congressional District (CD-3), announced at a press conference that she received the endorsement of 12 city and county police unions, her opponent, Democrat Tom Suozzi, derided them all.
The Feb. 13 special election called to replace the disgraced former CD-3 Rep. George Santos is just three days away. CD-3 spans Nassau County and a part of Eastern Queens
“Those same police unions endorsed George Santos and I don’t think we should use that as an arbiter for this election,” Mr. Suozzi told The Epoch Times.
Congress expelled Mr. Santos (R-NY) on Dec. 1, 2023.
At the press conference, which took place Friday at the Nassau County Police Benevolent Association (PBA) office in Mineola, Ms. Pilip was flanked by representatives from the Nassau County PBA, the Nassau County Police Department Detectives Association (DAI), the Nassau County Superior Officers Association (SOA) and Corrections Officers Benevolent Association (COBA), the Suffolk County PBA, the New York Police Department (NYPD) Sergeants Benevolent Association (SBA), the Lieutenants Benevolent Association (LBA), NYPD Lieutenants, the MTA PBA, Port Authority Sergeants Benevolent Association (SBA), Freeport PBA, and the Lynbrook PBA.
For a first time Congressional candidate to receive endorsements from so many police unions is stunning, according to former Congressman Pete King (R-NY).
“I was endorsed this way near the end but not from the start,” Mr. King told The Epoch Times.”It’s only the norm if you’re a winning candidate especially when you’re running against someone who was a county executive twice and congressman three times. The fact that they are rejecting him and going to Mazi is a big deal.”
The New York Police Department (NYPD) Sergeants Benevolent Association (SBA) represents 13,000 NYPD active and families of active members and retired members of the NYPD.
NYPD-SBA President Vincent Vallelong said the days of career politicians out for their own agenda should be over.
“Siding with different politicians to get certain bills through for monies that have nothing to do with our families, those days really need to be over with law enforcement as a group,” he said.
