Republicans have chosen Mazi Melesa Pilip, an Israeli military veteran, to potentially succeed Rep. George Santos (R-NY) after he was expelled from the House of Representatives.

National Review columnist John Fund wrote an op-ed in the New York Post calling Pilip a “dream candidate” for the GOP.

Santos was accused of being a conman and lying about a myriad of things before being ejected from the House of Representatives. As Fund points out, Republicans for the most part were not sad to see him go when he was expelled over ethics violations. But that created the problem of who they could pick to possibly take his place and not hand over his seat to the Democrats. Pilip seems to be the answer to their prayers.

“But the mood among local Republicans is likely to shift now that they’ve found what appears to be a dream candidate for the Feb. 13 special election to succeed Santos,” Fund wrote concerning the selection of the IDF veteran.

(Video Credit: Fox News)

The 44-year-old Ethiopian-born candidate is a two-term member of the Nassau County Legislature. Her life story in itself is worthy of a movie.

“She was born in a poor village in Ethiopia where no house had running water,” Fund noted. “She left for Israel at age 12 as a refugee in a program that rescued 14,000 black Jews living under an oppressive dictatorship. At age 18, she signed up as a paratrooper in the Israel Defense Force.”

“After completing her service she earned a master’s degree in diplomacy and security from Tel Aviv University. While there she married a fellow Jewish student whose family had emigrated to Israel from Ukraine and in 2005 came with him to the United States, where he completed his medical studies to become a cardiologist,” he wrote.

That background alone should make Pilip a star in political circles and she went on to further her conservative pedigree.

MAJOR ENDORSEMENT ALERT

Mazi Melesa Pilip stands out as a truly exceptional candidate and will make the hardworking families of New York’s 3rd district proud. Mazi is a shining example of the American Dream, and her extraordinary story reflects just that. As a paratrooper,… pic.twitter.com/FN7JzjzMrt

— Elise Stefanik (@EliseStefanik) December 14, 2023

When she arrived in the States, she decided to enter US politics and proceeded to run for the Nassau County Legislature. She trounced a four-term Democratic incumbent by 7 points two years ago.

Not only did she win the election, she gave birth to twin daughters just before it was held. Pilip is the mother of seven children.

In November, she was elected to a second term with 60% percent of the vote in New York no less.

“She’s really the American success story, the American dream,” Pete King, who has been a congressman for Nassau County for 28 years, stated.

Mazi Melesa Pilip (R) on Fox earlier:

“George Santos is a disgrace. He really did wrong things and he’s out now. He’s the past and I’m the future. I’m the voice for everyone. For me, it’s not about Republican or Democrat — it’s about being a good voice for the American people.” pic.twitter.com/LiK9gwQz2s

— Anthony Adragna (@AnthonyAdragna) December 15, 2023

Pilip is running against Democrat Tom Suozzi for Santos’ seat.

“Tom Suozzi, who represented the district in the House for six years until 2022, is the Democratic candidate in the special and has far stronger name recognition,” Fund stated before pointing out that there are problems with his electoral history.

“He was ousted as Nassau County executive in 2009 as part of a tax revolt. In 2022 he left Congress to challenge Gov. Hochul in the Democratic primary. But his moderate platform bombed with the Democratic base, and he only won 13% of the vote,” he recounted.

Despite Hochul’s endorsement of Suozzi, many Democrats don’t seem very fond of him.

He claims to be a moderate but has previously indicated that he wants to be part of the radical Democratic “Squad” according to Fox News. Still, he’s running in a district that could go either way this time around.

I am grateful for the support and endorsement of @IATSE Local One. pic.twitter.com/2f7vg1WUDI

— Tom Suozzi (@Tom_Suozzi) December 12, 2023

“At first glance, Suozzi starts out with a partisan advantage. The district went for Joe Biden by nearly 9 points in 2020,” Fund asserted. “But Republicans have done well since then running on taxes and crime, with 2022 gubernatorial nominee Lee Zeldin winning easily and Republicans sweeping the county executive, district attorney, and comptroller’s offices this year in Nassau.”

In the seat that Pilip now holds, she represents a tenth of the district’s voters according to Fund.

There is little doubt that she is a credible threat to Democrats who are salivating over the seat. The New York Times attacked her for lacking experience on the national stage, which some would say is a plus, not a minus these days.

She’s also being smeared on social media where leftists are claiming she is a registered Democrat despite her being previously elected as a Republican. Wikipedia claims she has been a registered Democrat since 2012 and ran for the Nassau County Legislature on the Republican ballot line. Her entry on the dubious site is being considered for deletion.

What they don’t highlight is that as a local official, she has also worked with law enforcement to reduce crime. She has also fought Hochul’s high-density housing plan for Long Island neighborhoods.

Following the Hamas attacks against Israel on Oct. 7, Pilip has been a strong supporter of families affected by the atrocities committed by the terrorists. She says it “personally impacted” her according to the Times of Israel.

Libs gonna have an aneurysm when they see Mazi Melesa Pilip https://t.co/7Lqk1XRr7j pic.twitter.com/GDoRqY77di

— Summer’s Eye (@HellsBitchen_) December 14, 2023

“And we have to send a message to the world. Hamas is a terrorist organization, and Israel has an obligation to defend its people,” she unequivocally declared.

The successor to Santos will be chosen in two months.

“The Cook Political Report calls it a toss-up race but notes Pilip is ‘a rising star whose personal story would be tailor-made for national coverage,'” Fund reported.

“Should Pilip win she would have to almost immediately campaign for re-election and in a district that due to a new state court decision could be gerrymandered by the supermajority Democratic Legislature to remove GOP-leaning areas,” he wrote.

It is evident that Fund is impressed with Pilip and so are many other conservatives.

“But Pilip has already proven she can overcome every obstacle that life has thrown at her. If she wins she’s more likely to remain a spokesman for GOP diversity than to see her career cut short by computer gerrymandering gnomes,” he concluded.

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