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New York will hold special election to fill George Santos' House seat

New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the special election will take place in February, ahead of November's House elections.
George Santos
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New York Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a special election to fill former U.S. Rep. George Santos' House seat on Tuesday.

In a post on X, Hochul said a special election would take place Feb. 13, 2024. The election will temporarily fill Santos' vacated seat in the House of Representatives, representing New York's Third Congressional District.

A winning candidate will take the vacant seat until a permanent representative is decided in federal elections on Nov. 5, 2024.

In historic move, House votes to expel Rep. George Santos
Rep. George Santos leaves the Capitol after being expelled from the House of Representatives.

In historic move, House votes to expel Rep. George Santos

311 representatives voted in favor of the motion, while 114 opposed it.

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The House of Representatives voted 311-114 to expel Santos on Dec. 1, following a high-profile ethics probe that found "overwhelming evidence" that Santos had broken the law.

Soon after his election to the House, it was alleged that Santos had lied about much of his background and resume.

In May, federal prosecutors charged Santos with 13 counts including wire fraud, money laundering, theft of public funds and making false statements to Congress. Santos pleaded not guilty and, at the time, gave no indication that he would step aside.

In October Santos was federally charged with conspiracy, fraud and identity theft. The Department of Justice alleges Santos stole the identity of campaign contributors, and charged their credit cards without authorization.

Santos is just the sixth person in U.S. history to be expelled from Congress.