Democrats dominate airwaves in race to replace Santos

House Republicans have a crucial special election just weeks away that could buoy their hopes of keeping their narrow majority. But they aren't acting like it when it comes to television ads.

Democrats are funneling over $8 million into the airwaves to recapture the Long Island seat they lost to George Santos, according to AdImpact, a media tracking service. Republicans have so far reserved a mere $3 million ahead of the Feb. 13 special election.

And the GOP is quickly running out of time to block Democrats from a victory that could power their attempt to reverse the punishing losses they suffered in New York in 2022.

The special election in New York’s battleground 3rd Congressional District is key for both parties after the expulsion last year of Santos, the infamous Republican fabulist. The contest pits former Democratic Rep. Tom Suozzi, a three-term incumbent with high name ID in the district, against Republican Mazi Melesa Pilip, an Ethiopian-born veteran of the Israel Defense Forces.

Republicans are waging a serious campaign — including a robust field program — and Pilip is fundraising furiously. The TV spending disparity, though it has closed somewhat over the past week, is still daunting.

Suozzi is far better known in the district, and Pilip desperately needs to boost her profile — fast. A TV ad can reach far more people than door knocking, especially when Democrats are flooding the airwaves with ads that portray her as part of the "MAGA" wing of the party.

Republicans are in a bind, though.

The cost of investing is high in the nation’s priciest media market, and Republicans will need globs of cash to defend the seat and several others in the region this fall. But leaving their candidate underfunded in a nationally