Ex-Rep. Vito Fossella makes post-scandal comeback bid in NYC
Staten Island, the least-populous and most Republican-leaning of New York City’s five boroughs, is sometimes referred to as the city’s “forgotten borough.” It’s the only one not linked to the deep-blue metropolis by subway lines and is politically out-of-step enough that its residents have threatened secession.
The enclave sometimes known for a defiant stance against the city’s liberal politics is also where a former Republican congressman — with the full-throated endorsement of former President Donald Trump — is trying to return to elected office more than a decade after a personal scandal derailed his political career.
Former U.S. Rep. Vito Fossella, who left Congress in 2009, is considered a favorite in Tuesday’s competitive election for the largely ceremonial public office of Staten Island Borough President, which the GOP has held for four decades. But it’s unclear to what extent Fossella’s past will play a role.