Swing-Seat Democrat Haunted By Tax Record As GOP Eyes Pickup Opportunity

Democratic New York Rep. Tom Suozzi has denied having a record of raising taxes, despite backing major local tax hikes as Nassau County executive and repeatedly opposing Republican-backed federal tax-cut legislation in Congress.

Suozzi has generally supported increasing the state and local tax (SALT) deduction cap, though he twice voted against the Working Families Tax Cuts Act in 2025. The GOP-backed legislation extended Trump’s 2017 tax cuts for many Americans and raised the SALT deduction cap from $10,000 to $40,000, according to a CNN report. (RELATED: ‘I Failed’: House Democrat Who Voted To Fund ICE Publicly Apologizes)

The SALT deduction primarily benefits taxpayers who itemize their deductions, particularly higher-income homeowners in states with elevated property and income taxes, including New York, California, and New Jersey.

He has also rejected criticism of his broader tax record. During a November 2025 interview on Fox News with host Bill Hemmer, the congressman pushed back on claims that he has a history of raising taxes, calling such assertions inaccurate. While arguing he opposed local tax increases, Suozzi advocated for higher taxes at the national level.

“Wherever you go in the country, I am all for you paying higher taxes anywhere in the country,” Suozzi said. (RELATED: Democrat Rep Tom Suozzi Blurts Out He’s ‘All For You Paying Higher Taxes Anywhere In The Country’)

In a recent interaction, Suozzi was asked why he voted to “raise taxes on constituents 12 times, according to some sources,” according to a video obtained by the Daily Caller. The congressman responded that those sources are “completely wrong.”

New York ranks last in state tax competitiveness, meaning an expanded SALT deduction cap would provide significant tax relief for many homeowners in the state, according to the Tax Foundation’s index.

The State Tax Competitiveness Index ranks states based on more than 150 factors across five major tax categories — corporate, individual income, sales and excise, property, and unemployment insurance taxes — to determine an overall tax climate ranking.

Supporters of the bill argued that increasing the SALT deduction would have delivered substantial tax relief to many homeowners in the district Suozzi represents. The issue is particularly significant in Nassau County, where the median household income is $146,202, according to the latest U.S. Census Bureau American Community Survey five-year estimates for 2020–2024.

The typical Nassau County homeowner impacted by the expanded SALT cap would have saved an estimated $7,200 under the expanded deduction — the largest projected benefit among the nation’s 100 largest metropolitan areas, Redfin News reported.

Although Suozzi has generally supported efforts to modify the SALT deduction cap, his congressional voting record on taxes extends beyond that issue. He has opposed broader tax legislation that included SALT-related changes alongside other tax provisions.

In 2017, Suozzi voted twice against the $1.5 trillion Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which reduced federal income taxes for many Americans while capping the SALT deduction at $10,000. The following year, he also voted against the Family and Small Business Tax Cuts Act of 2018, which would have made those tax cuts permanent.

His record on taxes also drew attention during his time in local government. After being elected Nassau County Executive in 2001, Suozzi backed a 15% property tax increase that was described as the “biggest single tax hike in Nassau history,” according to a New York Times (NYT) report. (RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Dem Rep Takes ‘Fake’ Phone Call To Dodge Question About LA Riots)

The following year, his proposed 2003 budget included what contemporaneous reports described as “a painful array of tax hikes and program cuts,” including a 19.4% property tax increase.

The Suozzi Solution by ashley

In 2004, Suozzi supported a multiyear fiscal plan that included scheduled property tax increases in two consecutive years, 2006 and 2007. The proposal drew attention because it called for taxes to be raised in two consecutive years despite Suozzi’s earlier characterization of a 2003 tax hike as a “one-shot, one-time tax increase” that would require “no more” increases, according to a NYT report.

Suozzi Property Tax Increase 06_07 by ashley

His record on tax increases continued into 2009, when he proposed and implemented a 2.5% energy tax on electricity, natural gas, home heating oil, propane, and firewood, the Long Island Herald reported. (RELATED: Tom Suozzi Says He Didn’t Pay Attention To Epstein Story Because It Wasn’t ‘Big Issue’)

The tax applied across Nassau County and was later repealed months after taking effect following public opposition, according to the outlet.

Suozzi’s personal finances and stock trading activity while serving in Congress have also reportedly drawn scrutiny. Suozzi’s stock portfolio posted one of the stronger performances among Democratic members of Congress in 2025, increasing by approximately $2.5 million and reaching an estimated value of $9.5 million, the New York Post reported, citing Quiver Quantitative.

The gains reportedly outpaced those of other high-profile congressional investors, including former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Suozzi’s investment activity has also been examined in connection with alleged STOCK Act disclosure issues, including a reported instance involving a $50,000 stock sale, according to a Fortune report.

Since entering Congress, he has reportedly had multiple STOCK Act-related disclosure filings flagged, including one in 2024, according to a Newsday report.

The issue has drawn additional attention, given Suozzi’s support for legislation that would prohibit members of Congress from trading individual stocks, according to Newsday.

Financial disclosure records also indicate that Suozzi’s net worth has increased substantially since first taking office in 2017. In addition, records show that his congressional committee has paid more than $37,000 in rent to a property associated with Suozzi, according to a New York Post report. (RELATED: Vulnerable Democrat Pursues ‘Shameless’ Campaign Tactic — After Being Called Out The First Time)

When asked about Suozzi’s recent comments and record, National Republican Congressional Committee (NRCC) spokeswoman Maureen O’Toole told the Caller, “Two-Faced Tom Suozzi is supposed to be fighting to make Long Islanders’ lives better. What has he done instead? Fought to raise their tax and siphon away more of their hard-earned money twelve times. Meanwhile, he gets richer. He’s a self-serving hack, and his time in Congress is up.”

The Caller reached out to Suozzi for comment but did not receive a response in time for publication.