Congressman George Santos instantly became one of the most famous freshman representatives in American history before he was even sworn into office. Dogged by reporters and abandoned by local Republican officials, Mr. Santos is now facing a Republican primary challenge from someone who has an impressive — and real — résumé. 

Kellen Curry, an Air Force veteran and banker, recently announced his candidacy as a Republican in New York’s third congressional district, which includes parts of Queens and Long Island. In an interview with the Sun, Mr. Curry says he hopes to bring bipartisanship and effective public service to those currently represented by Mr. Santos. 

“The first thing I think about is constituency services,” Mr. Curry said in a phone interview. “People in the district are not getting that, and, in fact, a neighboring congressman is having to shoulder that work.” Since Mr. Santos’s swearing-in earlier this year, much of the constituent casework typically done by representatives’ offices has been handled by neighboring congressmen, including Representatives Nick LaLota and Anthony D’Esposito. 

Mr. Curry is a graduate of the Air Force Academy and served overseas as a procurement officer. He said that his experience dealing with “byzantine” government agencies could make him an effective advocate for his district. 

“It’s important that we have somebody in Congress who has some sort of sense of how the government works,” he said. “When I think about my background at JPMorgan, obviously a number of people work in the financial services industry. It’s important we have someone who can represent our families, our communities, and our occupations.”

Mr. Santos came under fire after the New York Times reported his many fabrications about working for financial institutions like Citigroup and a venture capital firm that was later determined to be a ponzi scheme. 

Mr. Curry tells the Sun that he has already spoken with other Republican members of Congress and major GOP fundraising groups, though he would not disclose any names. After Mr. Santos announced his re-election bid on Monday, Speaker McCarthy was asked if he would be supporting the beleaguered congressman. Mr. McCarthy responded by saying it would be “hard” to do so.

On Tuesday, Politico reported that Mr. Santos was the only Republican representative of New York who was not invited to Mr. McCarthy’s upcoming fundraiser for vulnerable GOP members in the Empire State. 

When asked what inspired him to run for office now, Mr. Curry said his “aspiration has always been in public service,” but Mr. Santos’s lies certainly helped him get off the bench. “This just happened to be something that the entire country was activated by — someone that would defraud the public in this way.”

New York’s third congressional district is a difficult hill to climb for any Republican — President Biden won it by 10 points in 2020, and Mr. Santos is the first Republican to represent the district in more than 20 years. 

When asked about the presidential contest and how he would navigate being on the same ballot as President Trump, Governor DeSantis, or whoever the Republican presidential nominee may be, Mr. Curry said that he would “navigate around” whatever the national politics may be. “There’s nothing I can do about Trump or Biden. That process is going to take care of itself. I have to get my message out.”

Should he emerge as the most viable opponent to Mr. Santos, Mr. Curry will likely find friends in powerful local officials. The neighboring Republican congressmen — Representatives Mike Lawler and Andrew Garabino, as well as Messrs. LaLota and D’Esposito — have all called for their colleague’s resignation. The Suffolk County Republican Party, which is the base of Mr. Santos’s support, quickly called for the congressman’s resignation after he was sworn in. 

Mr. Santos also faces an investigation by the House ethics committee. Mr. McCarthy has said that he would move to have Mr. Santos expelled from Congress if that panel finds he broke the law. Federal prosecutors in New York are also looking into the congressman’s business practices.