House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (R-NY) said on Thursday that Republicans were wasting money by targeting two House seats held by vulnerable Democrats in the state of New York.
“Republicans are desperately spending money in places all across the country, including in Long Island, in a fruitless effort to try and defeat Democratic incumbents while at the same time leaving Republican held seats increasingly vulnerable, including in the north country of New York state,” Jeffries said at a press conference.
Jeffries said Democrats will “make sure” Reps. Tom Suozzi (D-NY) and Laura Gillen (D-NY) are reelected, despite the heavy deluge of GOP spending against them. The minority leader said that the trends in both seats were favorable for Democrats and that the further upstate retiring Rep. Elisa Stafanik’s (R-NY) seat is “on the verge of being flipped.”
Jeffries tied the GOP’s alleged “mismanagement” of its campaign money to recent reports that President Donald Trump’s two top political advisers, Chris LaCivita and James Blair, are also allegedly advising a pro-Russian state government in the Balkans.
“The mismanagement we are seeing unfold on the other side of the aisle, specifically as it related to MAGA Inc., perhaps should no longer surprise since give the fact that Donald Trump’s top political operatives seem more concerned with enriching themselves based on recent revelations and campaigning in Eastern Europe, as opposed to actually doing what they were at least hired to do which is try to hold off massive Democratic victories, which are coming on Nov. 3,” Jeffries said.
Democratic super PACs are not currently spending in Gillen’s or Suozzi’s districts, a sign they believe their incumbents are well positioned to win in November. Trump carried Suozzi’s seat by 4 points over former Vice President Kamala Harris in 2024. Gillen’s district voted for Harris by a narrow 1 percentage point, meanwhile.
GOP super PACs and the National Republican Congressional Committee have spent nearly $2 million on Gillen’s seat, according to AdImpact.
Both Suozzi’s and Gillen’s seats are centered in Nassau County. The suburb has shifted toward Republicans in the Trump era. Republicans are hopeful that New York GOP gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman, who serves as Nassau County executive, can run up a big total in the jurisdiction that will sweep Suozzi and Gillen out of office.
“For too long, New York families have been left behind by corrupt, partisan hacks Tom Suozzi and Laura Gillen,” NRCC spokeswoman Maureen O’Toole told the Washington Examiner. “Instead of fighting for Long Islanders, Suozzi and Gillen have fought to raise taxes, put illegal immigrants ahead of their own constituents, and bow down to radical Kathy Hochul, who is driving New York into the ground. Suozzi and Gillen have shown voters they aren’t representatives; they’re sell-outs, and Long Islanders have had enough.”
While Republicans continue spending in New York’s 3rd and 4th congressional districts, Stefanik’s seat has become increasingly competitive with nonpartisan rate racers shifting it in Democrats’ favor.
On Thursday, Jeffries also took a shot at House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) for appearing to open the door during a Fox interview to departing leadership if Republicans lost the majority.
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“The American people are about to retire Mike Johnson and the Republican majority in the House and possibly even in the Senate,” Jeffries said in response to Johnson’s comments.
The Washington Examiner contacted the Congressional Leadership Fund and the National Republican Congressional Committee for comment.
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[ H/T Washington Examiner ]
