George Santos Halts Congressional Comeback Effort After Expulsion

DEBARYLIFE – Rep. George Santos, the disgraced former congressman, announced on Tuesday that he has withdrawn his unlikely campaign to return to Congress and represent New York’s 1st Congressional District. He maintained that his opponent, Republican incumbent Rep. Nick LaLota, would “all but guarantee” that a Democrat would win the seat in November.

“I don’t want my campaign to be perceived as Nick Lalota’s retaliation… “I don’t want to split the ticket and be accountable for giving the house to Democrats, even though Nick and I don’t have the same voting records and I still think highly of his appalling record,” Santos, who had previously announced that he was changing from being a Republican to an independent, stated in a statement on X.

Previously referring to his former colleague as an “embarrassment” and “one of the most bizarre people I have ever met,” LaLota has dismissed Santos but not the challenge itself. However, he did state that he will take the race “seriously.”

Santos has entered a not-guilty plea to charges that include wire fraud and aggravated identity theft. He was ousted from the House in a historic vote that took place in early December, following an internal campaign that was partially spearheaded by LaLota.

A scandal involving his past dogged the former congressman’s tenure in government as well; he acknowledged lying or manipulating sections of it but maintained that other information was just standard résumé filler.

Personalized videos are still being sold through Santos’s active Cameo account as a digital content provider, implying that his political ambitions are far from over.

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“I have [met] with leaders and with constituents and I have made the decision to hang it up here and stop perusing this race, THIS YEAR!” he stated in his statement.

“The future holds countless possibilities and I am ready willing and able to step up to the plate and go fight for my country at any time,” he declared. “I’ll keep taking part in the debate over public policy and doing my share… My goal is to be on the correct side of history at all times. I’ll be returning, so this is just a temporary goodbye.”