In New York, a head-to-head House race foreshadows national elections
Al Jazeera
A special election in Long Island is seen as a precursor for the battle to control the US House of Representatives.
Glen Cove, New York – Mansions rise from the coastline. Sailboats clip the waves. And overlooking the landscape, atop a grassy hill, sits the house of a former president, Theodore Roosevelt.
Nestled on the north shore of Long Island, New York’s third congressional district is the wealthiest in the state — and recently, it has emerged as a key battleground for control of the United States House of Representatives.
On February 13, all eyes will be on the district as it holds a special election to fill its House seat, left vacant after the expulsion of former Representative George Santos.
But the stakes go beyond a single district. Experts say the race can be seen as a preview for the general elections on November 5, when the presidency and every seat in the House will be up for grabs.
“February 13 is really about November 5 in a lot of suburbs around the country, not just this one,” said Lawrence Levy, associate vice president and executive dean at the National Center for Suburban Studies at Hofstra University.
