After Santos: A special election with import for 2024 and beyond

Tuesday 's special election in New York’s 3rd Congressional District matters to both parties for reasons that have nothing to do with George Santos .

Both parties will be watching the vote in former Rep. George Santos ’ district for what it signals about campaign messaging and voter engagement.

Experts caution against reading too much into special elections.

A Democratic win on Tuesday won’t necessarily portend good news for the party in November , says Wasserman .

One factor that has long favored Republicans in low-turnout contests is strong support from older voters.

But the shift of highly educated voters, including educated senior citizens, to Democrats is a strong counterweight.