From the Liveblog of
Monday, May 1, 2023
Jewish politician files for congressional run against George Santos in New York
Luke Tress is a JTA reporter and a former editor and reporter in New York for The Times of Israel.
Anna Kaplan, a Jewish politician from Long Island, files to run against US Congressman George Santos in 2024.
Santos, a Republican, was exposed for lying about much of his background after being elected to Congress last year. He has refused to step down. His fabrications included claiming to be Jewish and saying his family survived the Holocaust. He has also filed to run for reelection.
Kaplan is a Democrat who represented New York’s 7th State Senate district between 2019 and January of this year, after losing her seat to Republican challenger Jack Martins.
A filling with the Federal Election Commission shows she has registered her candidacy to challenge Santos for Congress in New York’s 3rd Congressional district.
Shortly before leaving office, Kaplan had called for an investigation into Santos at public rallies on Long Island.
“George Santos has perpetrated a complete and total fraud on our community,” Kaplan said in December, blasting local Republicans for having supported Santos. “Our entire community has been victimized, and we demand accountability.”
“We all deserve an apology for his reprehensible lies about his nonexistent Jewish faith and his completely fake connection to the Holocaust,” Kaplan said. “We all deserve answers, and we all deserve a chance to heal from this dark chapter.”
Kaplan came to the US as a Jewish refugee from Iran in 1979, and was involved in Jewish causes as a lawmaker.
