First openly gay Republican elected to House won LI seat with ‘common sense’ message
The first openly gay Republican elected to Congress said he won a Long Island House seat by running a “common sense” platform.
George Santos noted the historic nature of his candidacy during an interview with the Post on Wednesday.
“I kept my message true to the people,” he said.
Santos will become the first openly gay Republican elected to the House — a handful of other candidates came out after they were elected.
“It’s a different world and we’re better for it,” Santos said.
His Democratic opponent, Robert Zimmerman, also is gay.
“We duked it out,” the Republican congressman-elect said.
Santos, 34, will succeed retiring Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi in the 3rd Congressional District that covers the island’s North Shore and parts of Queens.
“I will govern and deliver results for all the people — those who voted for me and those who didn’t,” he said.
His priorities include pushing for more funding for the NYPD and Nassau Police Department, supporting legislation banning individual stock transactions by members of Congress and advocating for oil drilling to help make America energy independent.
He said he connected with the voters by calling for the repeal of the unpopular state cashless bail law and the need to cut taxes — putting him in sync with the man at the top of the Republican Party ticket — gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin.
“Crime was a big part of the campaign. People don’t feel safe in the district,” the Whitestone resident said.
“Common sense was on the ballot.”
Santos was one of 11 GOP congressional candidates from New York who won their races, a pick up of four seats and helping Republicans secure control of the House of Representatives.
But one LGBT activist argued it was a “disgrace” for an out gay person to align himself with the Republican Party that has fought against gay rights.
“The Republicans want to obliterate us and deny our right to marry,” said Allen Roskoff, head of the Jim Owles LGBT Liberal Democratic Club.