Republican George Devolder-Santos defeated Democrat Robert Zimmerman in New York’s 3rd Congressional District, located in Nassau County on Long Island.
This was the first general election for the U.S. House of Representatives with two openly gay candidates running against each other.
This is also the first time a Brazilian-American has been elected to Congress. George Devolder-Santos is the son of Brazilian immigrants. He was born in Jackson Heights, Queens, but his family has Jewish roots, having emigrated from Ukraine to Belgium before seeking refuge in Brazil during World War II.
Devolder-Santos holds a degree in economics and finance from Baruch College and has built a career as a financier and investor on Wall Street. He has also worked in real estate and capital markets for companies like Goldman Sachs and LinkBridge Investors.