Democrat Tom Suozzi focused on building support among Asian Americans in his campaign to replace ousted Rep. George Santos, and strategists say his campaign’s success offers a blueprint for other candidates in upcoming competitive elections who need to reach the growing and diverse population.
Asian American voters make up more than 20% of the voting population in the 3rd Congressional District spanning eastern Queens and Nassau County — a crucial mass of votes in a race that was always expected to be tight. Suozzi beat Republican nominee Mazi Pilip by an 8-point margin.
His campaign invested time and resources to communicate with the district’s diverse population of Asian Americans, who make up the fastest-growing demographic in the city, state and the nation. While it may not be surprising that a more targeted approach to different ethnic communities yielded better results for Suozzi, that strategy hasn’t often been part of state Democrats’ campaign playbook. But it became essential in combating a recent rightward shift among Asian American voters in recent elections.
“The tactics are not rocket science,” said Rep. Grace Meng, who represents the neighboring 6th Congressional District in Queens. She was a leading surrogate for Suozzi and helped reach out to Chinese and Korean voters in his district. Meng said the difference with the Suozzi campaign was his commitment to a high level of “authentic outreach.”
After Democrats’ success in this special election, Meng said the Suozzi campaign’s investment should now be considered the baseline in New York, where several congressional races are expected to be battlegrounds as Republicans hold a razor-thin House majority.
“It’s not just a one-time appearance at an event,” said Meng, who noted that many Asian American voters are either first-time or relatively new voters. “There needs to be a lot of engagement and even conversations about why it’s important to participate in the civic process at…
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