Tom Suozzi Ran On Border Enforcement. But That's Only One Part Of The Story.

Much of the coverage of Democratic Rep.-elect Tom Suozzi’s victory in a special election on Tuesday has focused on the way it might serve as a model for how Democrats ― including President Joe Biden ― can run on immigration.

But some of the post-game analyses have flattened out Suozzi’s positioning, highlighting his support for a tough border bill killed by Republicans in the lead-up to the election and ignoring the nuances of his campaign.

In fact, Suozzi and his allies invested significant resources in outreach to both Asian and Muslim immigrant communities. And the moderate Democrat, who previously represented the district from 2017 to 2023, paired his calls for tougher border enforcement with support for a pathway to citizenship for Dreamers and recipients of temporary protected status.

“I’ll work across the aisle to do what our leaders haven’t ― secure our border. Close the routes used for illegal immigration, but open paths to citizenship for those willing to follow the rules, and pay a fee to help finance it all,” Suozzi said in one of two immigration-focused TV ads.

Sure enough, the business-friendly New Democrat Coalition, which backed Suozzi and has invited him to rejoin them upon his return to the House, released an immigration policy framework on Thursday that combines tougher enforcement with citizenship pathways for Dreamers and TPS recipients.

The pundit class also missed something about Suozzi’s Republican opponent, Nassau County Legislator Mazi Melesa Pilip. For all the gripes about her right-wing positions alienating swing voters, she apparently had the greatest difficulty turning out the Republican base ― and her identity as a woman of color probably had something to do with it.

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