Thursday, October 1, 2026
Congressman Tom Suozzi secured the Democratic nomination for New York’s 3rd Congressional District on Tuesday, defeating challenger Danielle Welch in a decisive primary victory and setting up a rematch with Republican Mike LiPetri in November.
With more than 80 percent of precincts reporting and over 13,000 votes cast as of press time, unofficial results showed Suozzi receiving roughly 81 percent of the vote to Welch’s 19 percent.
Suozzi was the only Long Island House incumbent to face a primary challenge this year.
Welch, a public defender from Bayside, Queens, mounted her first campaign for federal office, running on a platform that emphasized expanded health care access, stronger labor protections and other progressive priorities.
The result positions Suozzi to seek another term representing a district that spans much of Nassau County’s North Shore and portions of northeastern Queens.
The district has drawn national attention in recent election cycles as both parties view it as critical to the battle for control of the House of Representatives.
In a statement released after the election, Suozzi thanked voters and pledged to continue focusing on affordability and bipartisan problem-solving.
“I am devoted to public service and am grateful for this result,” Suozzi said in a statement. “Right now, I am fighting every day to lower costs, make health care more affordable, protect Medicare and Medicaid, and stand up to the White House’s reckless tariffs and costly wars.”
He added that the nation’s challenges are “too important for partisan games” and called for Democrats and Republicans to work together on what he described as common-sense solutions.
Suozzi, a former Glen Cove mayor and Nassau County executive, returned to Congress in February 2024 after winning a special election to replace former Rep. George Santos, who was expelled from the House.
He later won a full term that November, defeating LiPetri by fewer than four percentage points in one of the country’s most closely watched congressional contests.
The race has already begun attracting national attention. Last week, Vice President JD Vance appeared at an event in Bethpage where he endorsed LiPetri and sharply criticized Suozzi.
During the appearance, Vance referred to Suozzi as “the worst congressman in the entire United States” and urged voters to support LiPetri’s campaign.
The following day, Suozzi requested a federal investigation into whether taxpayer dollars were improperly used for political purposes during the event. In letters sent to federal officials, Suozzi argued that the appearance was promoted as an official government function focused on rooting out waste, fraud and abuse but largely resembled a campaign rally.
“If taxpayer dollars were used to finance this political event, it would be a misuse of congressionally appropriated funds and violate the law,” Suozzi wrote.
Suozzi also alleged that the bulk of Vance’s remarks focused on campaign-related rhetoric and promotion of his recently published book.
He requested what he called a full accounting of taxpayer funds used in connection with the event and a review of whether any laws or regulations were violated.
