From WNYC Studios, I'm Brian Lerer. This is my daily politics podcast. It's Wednesday, February 14th.

So the surprise ending to the Tom Swazi-Mazi Pellip race, it wasn't that close. And it didn't have to be, if you think

about it, if Republicans had only realized that George Santos was to lying what Pat Mahomes is to

quarterbacking, they wouldn't have had a congressman expelled during his term, and this special election

wouldn't have happened at all. And in this Queens and

Nassau County District, where Republicans have been trending since 2020, the polls that showed it

neck-and-neck did not turn out to be right as Democrat Tom Swazi defeated Republican Mazi Pillar by about

eight points. So who voted how within the district? What do we learn about

all of Long Island and perhaps all of suburban swing district America from this outcome?

And what can't we learn because of this district's particularities and those of these

candidates and maybe even the effects of yesterday's snow.

Here's the lesson Swazi wants us to take away.

But the people of Long Island and Queens are sick and tired of the political bickering.

They've had it.

They want us to come together and solve problems.

So now we have to carry the message of this campaign to the United States Congress

and across our entire country. And in defeat, Mazi Pillop.

We are fighters. Yes, we lost, but it doesn't mean we're going to end here.

And with us now, WNYC Senior Political political correspondent Bridget Bergen and Newsday columnist and

editorial board member Randy Marshall.

Hi, Bridget.

And Randy, nice to have you.

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