It’s been a consequential week for New York’s delegation in the U.S. House of Representatives: Wins, losses and potential race-altering changes — all with another national election looming on the horizon.

For New York Democrats, they finally got some good news. Following congressional election losses in 2020 and 2022, former Rep. Tom Suozzi cruised to victory in a special election Tuesday to replace former Rep. George Santos, who was ousted from Congress in December.

Suozzi’s win in the 3rd Congressional District, which makes up part of Queens and eastern Long Island, flips a Republican seat, narrowing the GOP’s already razor thin majority in the U.S. Capitol’s lower chamber.

Suozzi’s name recognition from his past service in Congress and his intention to run for a full term again in the fall puts a dampener on the establishment Republicans’ hopes of replacing Santos with one of their own.

When Suozzi is sworn in, likely at the end of the month, that will bring the Democrats’ House coalition to 213. Republicans have 219. There are currently three House vacancies, including western New York's 26th Congressional District, where former Democratic Rep. Brian Higgins left office earlier this month.

Earlier this week, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced the special election to replace him will take place on April 30. State Sen. Tim Kennedy is the designated Democratic candidate. Republicans have yet to announce a nominee. It is considered a safe Democratic district.

The day after Suozzi’s victory, New York House Republicans faced another setback when the chamber defeated a bid to temporarily double a $10,000 cap on state and local tax deductions for most married couples, also known as SALT.

The limit was put in place as part of the 2017 tax law Republicans pushed through Congress during the Trump administration. The SALT cap has led to bigger tax bills for many residents of high-tax states like New York, New Jersey and California.

Amending the measure has been a priority for New York Republicans representing Long Island and other swing districts that President Joe Biden won in 2020. The bill went down 195-225, with all Democrats voting against it. Democrats used the debate to remind voters who’s responsible for the initial SALT changes while Republicans used it to show they’re trying to make changes.

The week climaxed on Thursday when the New York Independent Redistricting Commission voted to submit new congressional maps to the state Legislature that would make substantial changes to some upstate House district boundaries while leaving most of the current lines in other parts of the state largely in place.

While many of the changes are minimal, there will still be a number of competitive races that may decide who controls the House in 2025. The presidential candidates at the top of the ticket will also no doubt be an important factor in these races across the state.

The Legislature still has to approve the new congressional boundaries.

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