In response to Democrat Tom Suozzi’s resounding victory in a “bellwether” special election, DNC Rapid Response Director Alex Floyd released the following statement:

“Pundit after pundit said the NY-03 special election would be a ‘bellwether’ going into November and that Democrats had ‘good reason’ to be worried. The result? Voters once again held Republicans accountable for their unpopular and extreme MAGA agenda, unwavering allegiance to Donald Trump, and losing strategy of putting Trump’s political ambitions over delivering for Americans. With Democrats consistently overperforming in election after election under President Biden, it’s past time for the so-called political experts to figure out what voters already know: When Republicans spend all their time playing politics with critical issues like border security and peddling an extreme, unpopular agenda to rip away our freedoms, they lose.”

Last night’s NY-03 special election was previewed as a “bellwether” for November with “good reason” for Democrats to worry – and Tom Suozzi won decisively.

CNN: “The contest has national stakes and could serve as a bellwether for the mood of the electorate this presidential cycle.”

Fox News: “The election is seen as a bellwether ahead of the all-but-certain November White House rematch between President Biden and former President Donald Trump.”

Politico: “The special election that could preview November”

CNN: “New York Democrats are worried about Tuesday’s special election. They have good reason to be”

CNN: “Democrats scramble to stave off defeat in battle for Santos’ House seat”

Washington Post: “Immigration heats up N.Y. special election, testing Democrats’ tougher talk”

The Hill: “With New York viewed as key to Democrats’ chances of winning the House, the race is an important bellwether for both parties.”

Politico: “GOP puts Dems on defensive over border security in bellwether special election”

The Guardian: “The demographic of New York’s third congressional district had made this a closely watched election nationwide. The district, seen as a political bellwether, is largely suburban and was one of 18 districts that Biden won in 2020, but which then went on to vote for a Republican House representative in 2022.”

The Hill: “It’s a potential preview of November.”

HuffPost: “Race To Succeed George Santos Tests Both Parties’ Immigration Messages”

New York Times: “[Suozzi] pitched himself as a pragmatic deal-maker and sharply criticized Ms. Pilip for her opposition to a bipartisan Senate bill that would have clamped down on asylum claims and closed the border if there were too many attempted crossings.”

New York Post: “Republican known for political upset predicts another shocker in Suozzi-Pilip race for George Santos’ seat”

“Former Rep. Bob Turner is making the call that Republican Mazi Pilip will upset Democrat Tom Suozzi in the special election for the seat of disgraced serial liar George Santos.”

Spectrum News: “Immigration, reform push become flashpoint in NY-03 special election”

NBC News: “Republicans see immigration and border security as a potential weak spot for Democratic nominee Tom Suozzi.”

In NY-03, Suozzi and Democrats held Republicans accountable for being all talk and no action when it comes to securing the border.

NBC News: “A decisive victory Tuesday for Tom Suozzi flipped a bellwether New York House district into the Democratic column, thinning an already small House GOP majority and potentially offering a preview of the campaign tactics in 2024 battleground races nationally. … Republicans went all-in on the issue of immigration as their ticket to victory — and fell short.”

HuffPost: “Suozzi affirmed his commitment to border security in two TV ads, and in the final days of the campaign, slammed Pilip for opposing a bipartisan Senate deal to shore up the border after Trump warned that it would benefit Biden. What’s more, Suozzi and his allies were apparently able to get the latter point across without the benefit of advertising and direct mail.”

New York Times: “When Ms. Pilip rejected a bipartisan Senate deal to boost deportations and fortify the border, Mr. Suozzi turned the tables, arguing that she was putting base politics above national security.”

CNN: “Many voters in the swing district pointed to immigration as a top issue, something that could also be true for voters across the country during this year’s general election. … Suozzi argued that he was the only person offering solutions in the race and criticized some Republicans in Congress for killing a bipartisan deal on the border.”

Wall Street Journal: “Democrat Tom Suozzi won a special election Tuesday on Long Island, flipping a seat in Congress from the GOP and sending a signal that his party can withstand Republican attacks on immigration in swing districts far from the border.”

NPR: “This race was dominated by GOP attacks on immigration. Republicans spent more than $8 million on campaign ads in this race, a huge number for a special congressional election. They hammered Democrat Tom Suozzi on immigration on the airwaves. Republican Mazi Pilip even held rallies near a makeshift tent city in Queens that houses migrants. … Democrats showed they can defend themselves on this issue.”

Washington Post: “The victory also validated Suozzi’s decision to invest heavily in countering the GOP on immigration, suggesting that Democrats in tight races can benefit from talking tougher on the border and highlighting Republicans’ abrupt abandonment of a bipartisan deal on the matter negotiated in Congress.”

House Republicans remain more focused on bending the knee to Donald Trump, baseless impeachment shams, and childish infighting than securing the border.

New York Times: “Republicans Against Border Enforcement”

Rolling Stone: “Border Patrol Supports ‘Strong’ Immigration Deal. Republicans Don’t Care”

HuffPost: “House GOP Impeaches DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas — Just To Help Trump”

CNN: “The border compromise would represent a dramatic change of immigration law on lines many Republicans have long supported. … The Mayorkas impeachment effort … will have zero practical impact on the crisis at the southern border.”

CNN: “Trump, who is hoping to make immigration a key plank of his presidential campaign, has suggested on Truth Social that approving additional resources for the border would make Republicans ‘look bad.’”

Vox: “Trump made this clear when he reportedly urged Republicans in Congress to turn against the bipartisan Senate border security bill scheduled for a vote Wednesday so that he could keep the issue alive through the presidential election. His supporters have largely fallen in line.”

Trump: “I think [Republicans] are making a terrible mistake if they vote for the bill.”

Trump: “Please blame it on me.”