U.S. Rep. Tom Suozzi announced Monday that he is running for governor of New York, joining a crowded Democratic primary field that includes Gov. Kathy Hochul and state Attorney General Letitia James.
Suozzi's entrance means he won't run again for the congressional seat he first won in 2016, making him the 18th Democrat who won't be running for re-election next year.
Suozzi, a moderate, described himself as a "commonsense Democrat who gets things done" and said he is running for governor because he has "a bold new vision for what the state needs."
"This whole left-right thing extremist thing is killing our country and killing our state," Suozzi said.
He said he would focus on crime, Covid-19, the economy, homelessness and education while keeping property and income taxes down.
"It's not about being politically correct. It's about doing the correct thing," Suozzi said in a virtual news conference. He touted his work with the bipartisan Problem Solvers Caucus on the infrastructure bill and stressed his work on restoring state and local tax deductions in the Build Back Better bill.
Asked whether he was worried that his departure would give Republicans a chance to capture his congressional seat, which is mainly on Long Island, Suozzi said, "It's always a concern, because it's a swing seat."
Original source can be found here.
