Tom Suozzi | |
|---|---|
 Official portrait, 2024 | |
| Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromNew York's3rd district | |
| Assumed office February 28, 2024 | |
| Preceded by | George Santos |
| In office January 3, 2017 – January 3, 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Steve Israel |
| Succeeded by | George Santos |
| 7thCounty Executive of Nassau County | |
| In office January 1, 2002 – December 30, 2009 | |
| Preceded by | Thomas Gulotta |
| Succeeded by | Ed Mangano |
| Mayor ofGlen Cove | |
| In office January 1, 1994 – December 31, 2001 | |
| Preceded by | Donald DeRiggi |
| Succeeded by | Mary Ann Holzkamp |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Thomas Richard Suozzi (1962-08-31)August 31, 1962 (age 63) Glen Cove, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Spouse | |
| Children | 3 |
| Relatives | Joseph A. Suozzi (father) |
| Education | Boston College (BS) Fordham University (JD) |
| Signature |  |
| Website | |
Thomas Richard Suozzi[1] (/ˈswɒzi/SWOZ-ee; born August 31, 1962) is an American politician serving as theU.S. representative forNew York's 3rd congressional district since 2024 and previously from 2017 to 2023. A member of theDemocratic Party, he was thecounty executive ofNassau County onLong Island from 2002 to 2009 and served before then as the mayor ofGlen Cove for eight years. His district, which is largely suburban, includes northern Nassau County and parts of northeasternQueens.
In2006, he ran unsuccessfully againstEliot Spitzer for the Democratic nomination forgovernor of New York.[2] Suozzi was elected to theU.S. House of Representatives in2016 and reelected in2018 and2020.[3] He retired from Congress to run again for the Democratic gubernatorial nomination in2022, losing to incumbent governorKathy Hochul.[4]
In October 2023, Suozzi announced that he would run for his old congressional seat in2024.[5] After CongressexpelledGeorge Santos that December, aspecial election to fill the remainder of the term was scheduled for February 13, 2024. Suozzi was selected as the Democratic nominee,[6] and then won the special election, reclaiming the seat for Democrats.[7]
Suozzi was born on August 31, 1962, inGlen Cove, New York, the youngest of five siblings.[8] His father,Joseph A. Suozzi, was an attorney and served as Glen Cove's mayor from 1956 to 1960. Originally fromRuvo del Monte, Italy, Joseph immigrated to the United States as a child. Suozzi's mother, Marguerite (née Holmes), was of Irish and English descent and worked as an operating room nurse atGlen Cove Hospital.[9][10][11]
Suozzi graduated fromChaminade High School in 1980 before attendingBoston College, where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in accounting in 1984.[12] After working as acertified public accountant for two years, he pursued a legal career, and earned aJuris Doctor degree fromFordham University School of Law in 1989.[13][14]
Suozzi began his career as an accountant atArthur Andersen before attending law school. He then served as a law clerk forThomas Collier Platt Jr. of theU.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Following his clerkship, he worked as a commercial litigator atShearman & Sterling until 1993.[14][15]
After being in public office, Suozzi worked in the private sector as an attorneyof counsel atHarris Beach and as a consultant forCablevision andLazard until 2016.[15][16] Later after leaving Congress, he joined Actum as a co-chair in 2023.[17]
In 1993, Suozzi was elected mayor ofGlen Cove, New York. He served as mayor for four terms.[18] His father,Joseph A. Suozzi, his uncle, Vincent Suozzi, and cousin, Ralph were also mayors of Glen Cove.[19] Joseph served from 1956 to 1960, Vincent served from 1984 to 1987 and Ralph served from 2006 to 2013.
As mayor, Suozzi focused on environmental cleanup of commercial and industrial sites, and redeveloping brownfield andsuperfund sites.[18] In 1994, the Glen Cove incinerator was permanently closed and dismantled.[20] In 1998, the city demolished and redeveloped the defunct Li Tungsten Refinery grounds, a federal superfund site.[21][22]
Suozzi was electedNassau County executive in 2001, becoming the first Democrat elected to the position in traditionally Republican Nassau in 30 years.[23] He assumed office amid a fiscal crisis. By 1999, Nassau was on the brink of financial collapse: the county faced a $300 million annual deficit, was billions of dollars in debt, and its credit rating had sunk to one level above junk status.[24] According to theNew York Times, he "earned high marks from independent institutions for his signature achievement, the resuscitation of Nassau's finances."[25]
While in office, Suozzi cut spending and reduced borrowing and debt. He also oversaw 11 county bond upgrades over two years, eliminated deficits in Nassau, and accumulated surpluses. In 2005,Governing Magazine named him one of its Public Officials of the Year, calling him "the man who spearheaded Nassau County, New York's, remarkable turnaround from the brink of fiscal disaster."[18][25] According to theNew York Times, he garnered praise for social services like his "no wrong door" program, which centralized access to social services.[25]
Suozzi narrowly lost the 2009 county executive election to Ed Mangano. After working in the private sector as an attorney, he announced that he would seek a rematch against Mangano in 2013.[26] He attacked Mangano for "presiding over a decline in the county" while also emphasizing eight years of balanced budgets and reduced crime while he was county executive.[27] In November 2013, Mangano defeated Suozzi by a much wider margin of 59% to 41%.[28]
Suozzi declared his candidacy forgovernor of New York in the Democratic primary againstEliot Spitzer on February 25, 2006. Few prominent Democrats apart from Nassau County Democratic Party chairman Jay Jacobs supported his bid; most of New York's Democratic legislators and mayors campaigned for Spitzer. One of Suozzi's biggest supporters was Victor Rodriguez, founder of the now disbanded Voter Rights Party. Rodriguez eventually became the lead field organizer for his Albany campaign office. The campaign was funded in part byHome Depot co-founderKenneth Langone, former NYSE CEORichard Grasso, vice chairman of the MTADavid Mack, and many people onWall Street whom Spitzer had investigated and prosecuted.[8]
On June 13, 2006, Suozzi spoke before the New York State Conference of Mayors along with Spitzer andJohn Faso. He received a standing ovation from the crowd of mayors.[29] On July 6, he announced to his followers that he had collected enough petitions to place himself on the primary ballot. During a debate, he said he had presidential aspirations.[30][31] On August 7, after much speculation, he announced that he would not seek an independent line were he to lose the primary.[32]
Spitzer defeated Suozzi in the Democratic primary with 82% of the vote to Suozzi's 18%.[33]
On November 29, 2021, Suozzi announced his candidacy for governor of New York inthe 2022 election.[34] He strongly opposed a proposal by GovernorKathy Hochul to permit homeowners to add an accessory dwelling unit (such as an extra apartment and backyard cottage) on lots zoned for single-family housing.[35] The proposal was intended to alleviate New York's housing shortage and make housing more affordable.[36] He said that he supported efforts to tackle housing problems, but that he was against "ending single-family housing".[36][37]
Suozzi placed third in the Democratic primary with 12% of the vote, behind Hochul andJumaane Williams.[4][38]
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In June 2016, Suozzi won a five-way Democratic primary inNew York's 3rd congressional district.[39] He was endorsed byThe New York Times,Newsday, andThe Island Now.[40][41][42] He defeated Republican state senatorJack Martins in the general election on November 8, 53% to 47% and began representingNew York's 3rd congressional district in the115th United States Congress in January 2017.[43]
In June 2018, Suozzi won the Democratic primary unopposed. In the general election, he defeated Republican nominee Dan DeBono 59% to 41%.[44]
In June 2020, Suozzi won a three-way Democratic primary inNew York's 3rd congressional district with 66.5% of the votes.[45] In the general election, he defeated Republican nomineeGeorge Santos 56% to 43%.[46][47]
Suozzi announced his candidacy forNew York's 3rd congressional district in the November 2023 election. After Congress expelled RepresentativeGeorge Santos, Suozzi also declared his candidacy for thespecial election. He was selected as the Democratic nominee on December 7, 2023,[48] and defeated Republican nomineeMazi Melesa Pilip, a member of theNassau County Legislature representing the 10th district, in the special election on February 13, 2024 by a margin of 54% to 46%.[7][49][50][a]
As the winner of the special election, Suozzi served out the remainder of Santos's term in the House, which expired in January 2025.[52] According to a December 2023Politico article, solidarity withIsrael in response to the OctoberHamas-led terrorist attack was a top priority for the district, and both Suozzi and Pilip were "staunch supporters of Israel".[53] Suozzi and Pilip primarily campaigned on the issue of an influx of migrants into the United States.[7]
Suozzi was re-elected in November 2024, defeating RepublicanMike LiPetri in the general election.[54]
In Congress, Suozzi prioritized tax policy. He authored legislation to restore thestate and local tax (SALT) deduction, which was capped at $10,000 in 2017.[55] He led efforts within theNew York congressional delegation to eliminate the cap, though the initiative was unsuccessful.[56][57]
In 2021, theCampaign Legal Center filed an ethics complaint against him, alleging he failed to report nearly 300 stock transactions worth between $3.2 million and $11 million, as required by theSTOCK Act.[58][59] During a congressional deposition, Suozzi defended the omissions, stating, "ethics is a big priority for me, but some of the formalities are not necessarily something I make a priority of."[60] In July 2022, theHouse Ethics Committee ruled his violations were not "knowing or willful" and dismissed the case.[61]
Suozzi voted in favor of military aid packages forUkraine,Israel, andTaiwan in 2024, aligning with most Democrats.[62][63][64] FollowingKamala Harris's defeat in the2024 presidential election, he criticized the Democratic Party's stance ontransgender participation in girls' sports and what he described as a "general attack on traditional values," provoking political backlash.[65]
On January 1, 2025, Suozzi wrote an op-ed inThe New York Times calling for Democrats to work with the incomingTrump administration and advocating for political compromise on parts of Trump's agenda.[66]
In January 2025, Suozzi was elected Democratic co-chair of theProblem Solvers Caucus.[67] Later that month, he was one of 46 House Democrats who joined Republicans to vote for theLaken Riley Act.[68]
On March 6, 2025, Suozzi was one of ten Democrats in Congress who joined all of their Republican colleagues in voting to censure Democratic congressmanAl Green for interrupting PresidentDonald Trump'sState of the Union Address.[69] Suozzi opposed a potential New York redistricting effort in response to Trump pushing Republicans to draw out Democratic districts in Texas for the2026 midterm elections.[70]
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For the119th Congress:[71]
Suozzi's caucus memberships include:
Suozzi and his wife Helene (née Wrotniak) married in 1993. They live inGlen Cove and have three children.[13][14] His son Joe is a minor league baseball player who has played in theNew York Mets organization.[77][78] Suozzi isCatholic.[79]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Eliot Spitzer | 624,684 | 81.88 | |
| Democratic | Tom Suozzi | 138,263 | 18.12 | |
| Total votes | 762,947 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Kathy Hochul (incumbent) | 607,928 | 67.64 | |
| Democratic | Jumaane Williams | 173,872 | 19.35 | |
| Democratic | Tom Suozzi | 116,972 | 13.01 | |
| Total votes | 898,772 | 100.00 | ||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Tom Suozzi | 167,758 | 52.9 | |
| Republican | Jack Martins | 131,534 | 41.4 | |
| Conservative | Jack Martins | 16,134 | 5.1 | |
| Reform | Jack Martins | 1,909 | 0.6 | |
| Total | Jack Martins | 149,577 | 47.1 | |
| Total votes | 317,335 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Tom Suozzi | 149,937 | 56.2 | |
| Independence | Tom Suozzi | 2,962 | 1.1 | |
| Working Families | Tom Suozzi | 2,838 | 1.1 | |
| Women's Equality | Tom Suozzi | 1,376 | 0.5 | |
| Reform | Tom Suozzi | 343 | 0.1 | |
| Total | Tom Suozzi (incumbent) | 157,456 | 59.0 | |
| Republican | Dan DeBono | 98,716 | 37.0 | |
| Conservative | Dan DeBono | 10,798 | 4.0 | |
| Total | Dan DeBono | 109,514 | 41.0 | |
| Total votes | 266,970 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Tom Suozzi | 195,927 | 52.6 | |
| Working Families | Tom Suozzi | 9,193 | 2.5 | |
| Independence | Tom Suozzi | 3,292 | 0.9 | |
| Total | Tom Suozzi (incumbent) | 208,412 | 56.0 | |
| Republican | George Santos | 147,437 | 39.6 | |
| Conservative | George Santos | 14,470 | 3.9 | |
| Total | George Santos | 161,907 | 43.5 | |
| Libertarian | Howard Rabin | 2,154 | 0.5 | |
| Total votes | 372,473 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Tom Suozzi | 93,183 | 53.92 | +9.66 | |
| Republican | Mazi Melesa Pilip | 69,778 | 40.38 | −8.97 | |
| Conservative | Mazi Melesa Pilip | 9,512 | 5.50 | +1.09 | |
| Total | Mazi Melesa Pilip | 79,290 | 45.88 | −7.88 | |
| Write-in | 337 | 0.20 | N/A | ||
| Total votes | 172,810 | 100.00 | |||
| Democraticgain fromRepublican | |||||
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democratic | Tom Suozzi | 185,491 | 51.1 | |
| Common Sense Party | Tom Suozzi | 2,160 | 0.6 | |
| Total | Tom Suozzi (incumbent) | 187,651 | 51.7 | |
| Republican | Mike LiPetri | 161,196 | 44.4 | |
| Conservative | Mike LiPetri | 13,497 | 3.7 | |
| Total | Mike LiPetri | 174,693 | 48.1 | |
| Write-in | 780 | 0.2 | ||
| Total votes | 363,124 | 100.0 | ||
| Democratichold | ||||
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| Political offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | County Executive of Nassau County 2001–2009 | Succeeded by |
| U.S. House of Representatives | ||
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromNew York's 3rd congressional district 2017–2023 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Member of theU.S. House of Representatives fromNew York's 3rd congressional district 2024–present | Incumbent |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Democratic Co-Chair of theProblem Solvers Caucus 2025–present Served alongside:Brian Fitzpatrick | Incumbent |
| U.S. order of precedence (ceremonial) | ||
| Preceded by | United States representatives by seniority 191st | Succeeded by |
| International | |
|---|---|
| People | |
| Other | |
