In shift, GOP-aligned PACs pause ads attacking Long Island Democrat Rep. Tom Suozzi in his race against Michael LiPetri

WASHINGTON — Top Republican and MAGA. Inc-aligned super PACs are hitting the brakes on their spending plans for TV ads attacking Long Island Rep. Tom Suozzi after previously booking millions of dollars more in commercials, an independent political ad tracker shows.

The pause comes as Republican campaign strategists are shifting money around districts in a sort of triage scramble to protect GOP incumbents or boost other party candidates elsewhere.

As of Wednesday, there was suddenly no more scheduled spending on broadcast or cable ads targeting Suozzi through the Nov. 3 election from either the No Going Back PAC Inc. affiliated with President Donald Trump, or the Congressional Leadership Fund tied to House GOP leadership, reviews of ad-time bookings by AdImpact and other sources show.

Both groups had previously combined to at least reserve or book more than $11 million in ads until the Nov. 3 elections targeting New York’s 3rd congressional district in the expensive New York media market. And some of their sponsored commercials had been up and running attacking Suozzi and boosting his Republican challenger, former Assemb. Michael LiPetri of Farmingdale.

How much of that money the groups actually have spent is not immediately available.

There does remain air time reserved for TV ads in New York’s expensive media market from LiPetri’s own campaign. Suozzi’s campaign also has booked ad buys.

"The Trump MAGA machine has spent more than $10 million attacking Congressman Suozzi and distorting his record. It hasn’t worked," Suozzi campaign spokesperson Kim Devlin said. "They wasted their money."

There was no immediate response to requests for comment from the LiPetri campaign or from spokespeople or the No Going Back PAC. A Congressional Leadership Fund spokesperson, Lydia Hall, would only reiterate that the group had previously announced $18.6 million worth of bookings in the NYC media market until Election Day — but not specifically about the lack of ad reservations targeting Suozzi.

The money being halted from those groups in New York's 3rd Congressional District — which includes parts of Nassau, Suffolk and Queens counties — comes as nonpartisan political handicappers last week changed their ratings of the race from "lean Democrat" to "likely Democrat," favoring Suozzi.

The race has been viewed as among the pivotal swing-seat contests nationally. So, too, has the nearby Nassau County-based 2nd Congressional District battle, where freshman Rep. Laura Gillen (D-Rockville Centre) is being challenged by Republican Hempstead Town Receiver of Taxes Jeanine Driscoll of Bellerose Village. Long Island's other two congressional races are not widely viewed as being similarly competitive, with two Republican incumbents heavy favorites.

Democrats need a net gain of four seats on Nov. 3 to seize the majority of the 435 House seats from Republicans and both parties are playing defense — as well as offense — in  trying to come out on top.