Rep. Santos gets first Republican primary challenger, an Air Force vet and former JP Morgan VP

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George Santos: I won't debate my mother's life

New York Republican Rep. George Santos reacts to allegations he lied about his mother working in the Twin Towers on 9/11 on 'Piers Morgan Uncensored.'

Republican Rep. George Santos of New York is facing his first official challenger for the Republican primary in 2024.

Kellen Curry, a veteran who served eight years in Afghanistan, announced on Monday his candidacy in New York's 3rd Congressional District.

"A few days ago, I quit the day job to take on a new mission: I’m running for Congress in New York’s 3rd Congressional District," Curry wrote in his campaign announcement.

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He continued, "I did not make this decision lightly and have sought the counsel of many-- which has been incredibly supportive. I look forward to reaching out to each of you to tell you more about the challenges and opportunities as I embark upon this journey."

Curry positioned himself as a direct opposition to incumbent Santos, admonishing the congressman's extensive track record of lying about his background.

Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., and Republican challenger Kellen Curry are seen in this split image. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images | Kellen Curry Campaign)

Santos, a Long Island Republican, flipped New York's 3rd Congressional District for Republicans in November after winning voters over with his inspirational background story – representing himself as an openly gay Jewish son of Brazilian immigrants. 

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He also claimed to have graduated from Baruch College with degrees in finance and said he previously worked for Goldman Sachs and Citibank. 

Rep. George Santos (R-NY) leaves the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. (Win McNamee/Getty Images)

After an investigation by the New York Times revealed major portions of his biography were fictional — including his Jewish ethnicity — his purported employers confirmed to Fox News that Santos never worked for them, and Baruch College said he never attended there.

"The audacity of the lies [Santos] has told seems to move everyone to ask: how do people like George Santos get elected? I don’t know the answer either, so instead I focus on the solution: how can we work together to ensure it doesn’t happen again! So, I’ve decided to step up and taken on this challenge," Curry said in his campaign announcement.

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Rep. George Santos, R-N.Y., leaves a meeting of the House Republican Conference at the Capitol Hill Club. (Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images)

Santos officially filed to run for re-election to the U.S. House of Representatives despite calls for him to not run again.

Filing of paperwork with the Federal Election Commission on Tuesday doesn't mean he will definitively be a candidate for Congress, but rather that he was meeting a demand by the organization to declare his intentions after reaching a certain fundraising threshold. It is not yet clear is Santos will campaign for re-election in 2024.

Fox News Digital reached out to both the Curry and Santos campaigns for comment but has not received a response from either.

Fox News' Brandon Gillespie and Chris Pandolfo contributed to this report.