Former New York State Assembly Member Mike LiPetri, announced Tuesday, Feb. 3, that he is running for Congress in New York’s 3rd Congressional District, setting up a rematch against Democratic U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi, who defeated him in 2024.
LiPetri, a Republican who represented the 9th Assembly District, lost the last contest to Suozzi by about 2.5 percentage points, with Suozzi winning 51.7% of the vote to LiPetri’s 48.1%, according to state election data. The race drew national attention as control of the U.S. House hung in the balance, with Long Island viewed as a key battleground.
Efforts to reach Suozzi were unavailing.
In announcing his 2026 campaign, LiPetri framed the race as a referendum on taxes, public safety and Democratic leadership, while aligning himself closely with former President Donald Trump and national Republicans.
“Under President Trump’s leadership, Republicans have delivered no tax on tips, Social Security and overtime, and we’ve raised the SALT tax cap directly helping hardworking New Yorkers,” LiPetri said in a statement. “Flipping this seat and stopping the Mamdani Madness and lawlessness from spreading to Long Island is critical.”
LiPetri quickly secured endorsements from prominent Republican leaders, including Nassau County Republican Committee Chairman Joseph Cairo Jr., Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman and House Majority Whip Tom Emmer of Minnesota, underscoring the district’s importance to GOP efforts to hold and expand their House majority.
“Mike is one of us – he stands for our values, our principles, and is 100% committed to supporting law enforcement and lowering costs for hardworking New York taxpayers,” Blakeman said in a statement endorsing the candidate.
Suozzi, a longtime Long Island political figure, swept all three counties in the district during the 2024 election — Nassau, Queens and Suffolk — though the margins were tight in Nassau County, where fewer than 1,500 votes separated the two candidates.
National Republican groups also seized on LiPetri’s announcement, criticizing Suozzi’s record on taxes and crime and casting the race as a chance to flip the district.
LiPetri previously served in the New York State Assembly, where he built a profile as a vocal supporter of law enforcement and an opponent of bail reform and pandemic-era business closures. He is a Farmingdale native, a graduate of SUNY Albany and Albany Law School, and has emphasized affordability, public safety and border security as central themes of his campaign.
