Former Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi of New York delivered a master class Thursday on revealing the negative implications of his Republican rival's abortion stance during their first and final debate.
Suozzi is facing off against Republican Mazi Pilip, a Nassau County lawmaker, in a special election next Tuesday for New York’s 3rd District, the seat formerly held by George Santos. In 2020, Joe Biden won the district by 8 percentage points, only for it to flip red in 2022, when Santos secured the seat by nearly 8 points.
The debate exchange between Suozzi and Pilip on abortion rights was likely a preview of how many debates on the issue will play out in the larger 2024 election cycle. It was also particularly notable for the distinctions Suozzi extracted about Pilip's personal beliefs versus the way she intends to govern and whether she would vote for a national abortion ban or a law restoring Roe v. Wade at the federal level.