Mazi Pilip warns voters not to buy Tom Suozzi’s moderate claims: ‘This is part of his game’

Mazi Pilip is warning voters not to fall for Tom Suozzi’s moderate claims. Kevin C. Downs for NY Post

Don’t buy it.

GOP candidate Mazi Pilip warned voters that her opponent in Long Island’s special election, Democrat Tom Suozzi, is a true-blue progressive in moderate’s clothing.

“This is part of his game. He’s a politician, a career politician. He plays this game. All of a sudden he doesn’t want to be endorsed by Biden. He voted over 90% of the time with Squad members. He cannot run away from his record,” Pilip told The Post shortly after her debate with the former congressman.

“For him, he just wants to win this election. He will lie. He’s not going to be honest. And I know what he’s panning to do,” she warned.

Pilip’s campaign made hay about Suozzi’s past vote against condemning the “defund the police” movement in 2021.

There was also grumbling about a July 2019 Facebook post in which Suozzi shared advice with illegal immigrants on how to evade federal immigration authorities. That same month, Suozzi publicly boasted that he was an “honorary member” of the far-left House “Squad.”

Mazi Pilip warned voters not to trust Suozzi’s claims of being a moderate. Gabriella Bass

The race for Long Island’s third district — triggered by the expulsion of disgraced former Rep. George Santos — pits the 61-year-old Dem against Nassau County legislator Pilip, with polls indicating a dead heat.

Suozzi has been attempting to thread the needle of positioning himself as a loyal Democrat — while keeping the unpopular Democratic Party brand at bay.

The wealthy and conservative district, which includes Oyster Bay Cove, Glen Cove, Manhasset and a slice of northeast Queens, gave Republican George Santos an 8-point victory in 2022.

Former Rep. Tom Suozzi is trying to win back his old seat in an increasingly conservative district. AP

Though President Biden was in New York for fundraisers this week, he was MIA from the campaign trail with Suozzi.

“The president is underwater in the district,” Suozzi told The Post. “I don’t think that Joe Biden campaigning for me would help me.”

House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries quietly parachuted into the the district last week to mark the start of early voting and fire up black voters — but he was conspicuously left off Suozzi’s public schedule.

Suozzi told The Post he didn’t believe that support from Biden wouldn’t help her campaign. AP

Gov. Hochul — deeply unpopular on Long Island — has also been absent from the campaign trail, and Suozzi has avoided mentioning her since accepting her clenched-fist endorsement in December. The pair continue to have bad blood stemming from Suozzi’s nasty primary challenge against her in 2022.

“Let’s be clear. I am a Democrat, I have always been a Democrat, I always will be a Democrat, I am concerned about the far left of my party,” Suozzi insisted “And I have stood up to those members of my team throughout my career.”

Pilip has showed no such reticence about former President Trump, saying Trump was welcome to campaign with her and telling The Post she proudly voted for him in 2020.

Pilip says she would be happy if Donald Trump campaigned for her. AP

Suozzi reminded The Post that when he was previously in Congress he served as vice-chair of the chamber’s bipartisan Problem Solver’s Caucus and said his moderate bonafides were well-established in the district.