Republicans in Long Island and Queens have nominated Nassau County legislator Mazi Pilip, a former Israeli paratrooper and native of Ethiopia, as their candidate for the vacant seat in the House of Representatives. The announcement of Pilip's candidacy was made on Friday in Massapequa. The special election for the Third Congressional District, which covers parts of Nassau County and eastern Queens, will take place on February 13th. Pilip will be running against former Democratic Representative Tom Suozzi, who held the seat for six years before resigning to run for governor in 2022.

Pilip, who currently resides in Great Neck, has already been elected county legislator twice in the Democratic stronghold of North Hempstead, which includes the heavily Jewish area of Great Neck. Her personal story is one of resilience and triumph over adversity. She was airlifted from Ethiopia to Israel as a young girl to escape religious persecution during Operation Solomon in 1991. She served as a paratrooper in the Israeli Defense Force and resided in Israel for 15 years before moving to the United States.

In an interview, Pilip expressed her excitement and gratitude for the support of the Republican and Conservative parties. She emphasized that her focus will be on standing strong for Israel, combating antisemitism, tightening border security, ensuring public safety, and lowering taxes. She condemned the actions of Hamas during the recent attacks in Israel and highlighted the rise of antisemitism globally. She also criticized the Biden administration's open border policy and vowed to fight for stricter border security.

Pilip's candidacy has received strong support from Republican leaders in both Nassau County and Queens. Nassau County GOP chairman Joe Cairo praised her as a "squeaky clean" candidate and emphasized that extensive vetting had been conducted to ensure her suitability. Queens Republican leader Tony Nunziato described Pilip as a "tremendous candidate" who will receive excellent backing from across the district. Republican former US Senator Al D'Amato, who has close ties to the Nassau GOP, also expressed his support for Pilip, stating that she can win crossover votes from Democrats based on her track record in local races.

The special election is expected to be closely contested, with the Cook Political Report labeling it a toss-up race. Pilip's personal story and her experience as a local official who has worked on issues such as crime reduction and opposition to high-density housing have been highlighted as strengths. If she wins, Pilip will face the challenge of campaigning for re-election almost immediately in a district that could be gerrymandered by the Democratic Legislature to remove GOP-leaning areas. However, supporters believe that Pilip's resilience and determination will enable her to overcome any obstacles she may face in her political career.