George Santos, the New York Republican elected in 2022 after presenting voters with a mostly fake resume, may be looking to run for office again.
Santos’ campaign on Tuesday filed a 2024 statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission, a possible sign he might seek another two-year term in the House. Santos’ campaign didn’t immediately comment on his plans, but he has reportedly told advisers that he hopes to run again.
Santos has rebuffed calls to step down in the wake of revelations that he fabricated much of his background to get elected. While he voluntarily gave up his House committee assignments, Santos has been defiant about remaining in office.
“I’m not leaving, I’m not hiding and I’m not backing down,” he tweeted in February, after offering to resign if 140,000 constituents asked him to leave office.
His filing comes amid a new House Ethics Committee investigation into potential “unlawful activity” concerning his 2022 campaign and other alleged violations, including sexual harassment. The existence of an investigation doesn’t mean that Santos violated any laws. The New York Republican is also facing local, federal and international probes into his past, particularly the personal loans that Santos made to his campaign.
Just because Santos has filed paperwork with the FEC doesn’t mean he will ultimately run for reelection — or that he stands a chance of winning. Republicans and Democrats from his northern Queens and Long Island district are lining up to run for the competitive seat, and many of his House colleagues from New York have made it clear they believe Santos should resign or face expulsion. A Siena College Research Institute poll released last month found that 66% of New Yorkers share that sentiment.