Democrats Flip George Santos’ Former House Seat

At Axios, Andrew Solender reportsthat former Rep. Tom Suozzi (D-NY) won a special election to replace expelled Rep. George Santos. Suozzi defeated Republican candidate Mazi Melesa Pilip, a Nassau County legislator and Ethiopian-born Israeli Defense Force veteran. The special election tested Democratic and Republican messaging on immigration, abortion, and the economy in a district won by President Biden in 2020. In November 2024, Republicans will defend 17 similar suburban Biden districts across the country. PRRI’s 2023 American Values Survey found 45% of Republicans say they would only vote for a candidate who shares their views on immigration.

Large Majorities of Americans Say Antisemitism Is a Serious Problem

NPR’s Jason DeRose reports that a new study from the American Jewish Committee finds belief that antisemitism is a very serious problem is on the rise. An overwhelming majority of both Jewish (94%) and non-Jewish Americans (74%) surveyed believe antisemitism is a somewhat or very serious problem, and 46% of Jewish respondents said they’ve changed their behavior out of concern for their safety. According to FBI data from 2022, roughly 55% of all religion-based hate crimes were driven by anti-Jewish bias. In 2021, PRRI research found that a majority of Americans (56%) believed Jews in America face a lot of discrimination.

The Potential Impact of Trump’s Extreme Deportation and Immigration Agenda

Laura Barrón-López, Shrai Popat, and Ali Schmitz of PBS News Hour report this weekend on the campaign trail, former President Donald Trump promised that if elected he would begin the largest domestic deportation operation in American history. Aggressive action on immigration is becoming a central part of the GOP’s overall 2024 campaign, and led to House Republicans’ impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas yesterday. PRRI data finds that about half of Americans (52%) say the growing number of newcomers from other countries strengthens American society, including one-quarter of Republicans (25%).

Today Is Ash Wednesday and Valentine’s Day. Here’s What You Need To Know.

Today’s celebration of Valentine’s Day also happens to be Ash Wednesday, a solemn day of fasting and reflection signaling the start of Lent for many Christians. While the history of Valentine’s Day and St. Valentine is a bit murky, Lisa Bitel, a history and religion professor at the University of Southern California, said the holiday began as a liturgical feast day for a third-century Christian martyr and the emphasis on love appears to have come later. The 2022 PRRI Census of American Religion update found that 42% of Americans are white Christians, 25% are Christians of color, 6% belong to non-Christian religions, and 27% are religiously unaffiliated.