Yet another blue seat will be up for grabs in the upcoming midterm elections after Rep. Tom Suozzi of New York announced on Monday he's stepping down to run for governor.
It's bad news for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi as Democrats face an uphill battle to maintaining their thin majority in Congress just 11 months before the race.
Suozzi, a moderate Democrat representing Long Island's 3rd Congressional District, revealed his gubernatorial aspirations during a press conference this morning where he also admitted he was 'concerned' his seat may be won by a Republican in 2022.
During the event he also decried extremism on both sides of the political spectrum.
'Everything I've done has prepared me for this particular job at this particular time and I have a clear rationale to distinguish myself from the other candidates,' Suozzi said.
'So, I feel like this whole, you know, left-to-right extremist thing in our country is killing our country, and it's killing our state.'
Suozzi's departure from the House will leave behind a gaping hole in an area where Republicans won handily earlier this month.
While GOP voters in Virginia delivered Glenn Youngkin a stunning gubernatorial victory and those in New Jersey nearly unseated the state's popular Democrat governor, Long Island Republicans in Nassau County decisively ousted Democrats from local government roles.
The GOP trounced Democrats there all the way down the ballot, including winning district attorney, county comptroller and county clerk.
Rep. Tom Suozzi's (left) planned departure leaves behind a 'swing seat' House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will have to defend in just 11 months
Currently Democrats hold a majority of 221 to 213 seats in the House. So far 18 have announced they are retiring or seeking other elected office, compared to 12 Republicans doing the same
Nassau County voters also elected Republicans to serve as county executive and mayor of Glen Cove, New York - both seats Suozzi held in the past.
And while the lawmaker managed to fend off a
