“Republicans battling to hold onto the New York House seat vacated by George Santos chose on Thursday another relatively unknown candidate with a remarkable biography but a thin political résumé to run in a special election next year,” the New York Times reports.
“After extensive vetting, Republican leaders selected Mazi Melesa Pilip, a local legislator who was born in Ethiopia, served as a paratrooper in the Israel Defense Forces and ran for office for the first time in 2021 vowing to fight antisemitism.
”“It was a bold gamble by Long Island Republicans, a group better known for nominating older, white establishment figures.”