Democrat in Close Battle for House Seat All But Begs Biden Not to Come Help Him Campaign

AP Photo/Alex Brandon

Tom Suozzi, the Democratic candidate to represent New York’s third congressional district in the House of Representatives, is all but begging President Joe Biden to steer clear of the district during a visit to New York City for a series of campaign fundraisers.

In an interview with CNN on Monday, Suozzi — who is running against Republican Mazi Pilip to replace George Santos, who was thrown out of the House in a bipartisan vote last year  — said that he didn’t “think it would be helpful” if Biden came to help him campaign prior to election day next Tuesday.

“I can pretty much guarantee the president is not going to be coming to campaign,” said Suozzi. “I don’t think it would be helpful, just as I don’t think Donald Trump would be helpful to my opponent.”

While Biden won the district by 8 points in 2020, his unpopularity in office has rendered him a potential liability to Democrats who might otherwise welcome him.

An NBC News poll released on Sunday found that just 37% of voters nationally approve of Biden’s performance in office, while a whopping 60% disapprove. As of December, Biden had the lowest approval rating of any presidential incumbent at that point in their first term dating back all the way to Harry Truman.

Suozzi’s dismissal of Biden bore similarities to the cold shoulder Terry McAuliffe gave Biden during his unsuccessful 2021 campaign for the governor’s mansion in Virginia.

“As you know, the president is unpopular today, unfortunately, here in Virginia,” acknowledged McAuliffe at a rally a month before election day.

“It’s a very tough seat,” remarked Suozzi, who previously represented the district before retiring last year, during his conversation with CNN. “Democrats have been losing everything on Long Island and northeast Queens for the past three years. The Democratic brand is in trouble here, and we have to do a lot to overcome that.”