NEW YORK — The race to replace George Santos is underway.

Former Rep. Tom Suozzi was tapped Thursday to be the Democratic nominee to replace the scandal-scarred Santos in a critical Long Island seat that will be one of the major battleground races in the nation — the first major one of 2024.

New York Democrats are turning to the well-known Suozzi to run in the Feb. 13 special election called by Gov. Kathy Hochul after Santos was expelled from the House last week.

Suozzi’s bid received the backing of Queens Rep. Greg Meeks and Jay Jacobs, the chair of both the Nassau County Democrats and the statewide party, who endorsed him in a joint statement.

In a special election, party bosses pick the candidates to fill the remainder of the term. Then there would still be the potential of a primary in June ahead of the November election for a full, two-year term starting in 2025.

“Tom Suozzi has a proven record of fighting for his constituents, fighting to safeguard our suburban way of life here on Long Island and Queens and always advocating for sensible solutions to the real challenges affecting everyday average Americans,” they said in the statement.

The special election is expected to draw national interest and millions of dollars in campaign spending to the district, which covers........

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