Author and Columnist John Avlon To Run for Congress

The author and political columnist John Avlon, who recently left CNN, has announced that he would be a Democratic candidate for the 1st Congressional District seat currently held by first-term Republican Nick LaLota.

Avlon announced his candidacy on social media, immediately shaking up a race that has already attracted six Democrats, including Nancy Goroff, a retired Stony Brook University chemistry professor, whom LaLota easily defeated in 2022. The primary election is on June 25.

“I believe the United States is the greatest democracy the world has ever known,” Avlon said in a video released on Instagram and X on February 20 announcing his candidacy. “But right now, our democracy is in danger. This election is not a drill. It’s up to all of us to step up and get off the sidelines. ...”

“There’s just too much at stake for the country and the community that I love,” he continued. “We need to build the broadest possible coalition to defeat Donald Trump, defend our democracy, and win back the House from his MAGA minions who don’t even seem interested in solving problems anymore.

“Together we can flip this seat,” Avlon concluded. “Together, we can rebuild the middle class, invest in infrastructure, protect women’s reproductive freedoms, and combat climate change. Democrats can’t afford to lose this fight.”

Reached by text, LaLota did not seem too concerned by Avlon’s announcement. “Voters have rejected multiple Manhattan and out-of-state elitists (from both parties) who parachute into the district in an attempt to satisfy their vanity and buy a seat in Congress,” he said. “After burning millions of his friends’ money, John Avalon will suffer the same fate.”

In an interview on Thursday, February 22, Avlon said he felt it was his personal responsibility to get involved in the political arena, even though he has never run for office before.

“I didn’t want to look at my kids and say I could have done more when it mattered most,” he said.

Avlon said the American political system has devolved into one “that rewards extremism and punishes problem solving.”

As an example, he cited the recent failed effort of Congress to agree on legislation addressing the crisis at the border. “The Republicans walked away from the deal they asked for and negotiated,” he said. “It was one the Wall Street Journal said was the strongest measure in years.”

Although Avlon said the 1st District is a swing seat, he said there was frustration among Democrats because the seat is not being treated as one. He added that there is a “pervasive civic exhaustion” brought about by the continual divisive statements of Trump and his supporters.

He said it was essential for ordinary citizens to recognize their civic duty and get involved in politics. “Our democracy depends on it,” he said. “No one else is going to come and save us.”

Avlon, 51, a centrist, is the author most recently of “Lincoln and the Fight for Peace” as well as “Washington’s Farewell: The Founding Father’s Warning to Future Generations,” “Wingnuts: How the Lunatic Fringe is Hijacking America” and “Independent Nation: How Centrists Can Change American Politics.”

He was a commentator and anchor for CNN and served as editor-in-chief of The Daily Beast from 2013 to 2018.

Avlon has worked for politicians on both side of the political aisle. He worked on President Bill Clinton’s campaigns and was speechwriter for former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

But Avlon has been a sharp critic of former President Donald Trump. In a social post, he said, “we have to get past this poisonous hyper-partisanship. I believe in a different approach.

“Our next member of Congress needs to work with all people of good faith, based on common sense and common facts to solve the common problems we face. We need someone who will put Suffolk County’s values first — not Donald Trump’s.”

Besides Goroff, five other Democrats have announced they are running for the 1st District seat: former State Senator James Gaughran; Craig Herskowitz, a former administrative law judge in New York City; Kyle Hill; Andy DeCecco and Saint Jermaine Endeley.

Avlon is married to Margaret Hoover, the great-granddaughter of President Herbert Hoover, who is a conservative commentator and the host of “Firing Line” on PBS. They have two children and live in Sag Harbor.