The Nassau County Police Detective’s Association and Police Superior Officers have endorsed Republican George Santos as he makes a bid for the 3rd Congressional District in November.
The law enforcement agencies joined House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, Congressman Ronny Jackson, the National Republican Congressional and the Republican Party of Nassau County in endorsing Santos, among others.
“With George Santos as a congressman in the House of Representatives, rest assured law enforcement will have an ally and voice in D.C. For too long, our men and women in blue have not had real leaders prepared to stand up for them. We want to elect unapologetic candidates like George Santos,” said Superior Officers Association President Ricky Frassseti in a statement.
In August, both organizations endorsed former Republican state Sen. Jack Martins, who is running for his old position against Sen. Anna Kaplan (D-North Hills).
The Santos campaign said it’s clear the candidate “has established the trust of law enforcement in the district vs. his pro-crime, pro-cashless bail opponent Robert Zimmerman.”
If elected, Santos would become the first openly gay member of Congress from Long Island and Queens as would his Democratic challenger Zimmerman.
“I am proud to receive the endorsement from the members of the SOA and the DAI as they courageously protect the residents of Nassau County,” Santos said. “I pledge to work collaboratively with members of law enforcement at the local level to ensure safe streets and thriving communities. We can’t let radical pro-criminal elites, like Robert Zimmerman, be elected to office. Robert Zimmerman’s policies are dangerous for our families.”
Santos is running for the seat currently held by Congressman Tom Suozzi (D-Glen Cove), who is coming off a failed run in the gubernatorial primary, losing to Gov. Kathy Hochul in late June. Suozzi is not on the ballot to retain his seat in Congress.
New district maps were submitted earlier this year by a court-appointed special master and have been viewed as more neutral compared to ones that were rejected by the state Appeals Court several weeks ago.
While the 3rd Congressional District under the new proposal does not extend as far west as the Bronx or Westchester, it does stretch to more southern parts of Nassau County, such as Hicksville and Massapequa. The new lines do exclude the parts of the district that now stretch into Suffolk County, mainly Huntington and Smithtown.
Santos, 34, who ran against Suozzi in 2020, was named an a “Young Gun” candidate in the National Republican Congressional Committee’s Young Guns program earlier this year, his campaign said.