LaLota Defeats Avlon in 1st Congressional District Race

U.S. Representative Nick LaLota has prevailed in his first reelection bid in the 1st District, holding off a challenge from the author, columnist and former CNN anchor John Avlon.

With all 561 election districts reporting, the Suffolk County Board of Elections’ unofficial result has LaLota winning 217,461 votes, or 55.7 percent, to Avlon’s 172,700 votes, or 44.24 percent.

LaLota spoke shortly before 11 p.m. at Stereo Garden in Patchogue, where he thanked his supporters.

“You trusted me,” he said. “With your help, I campaigned on my record: more bipartisan than 85 percent of Congress, passed more bills than 95 percent of Congress, got $150 million home here in Suffolk County.

“I took an oath two years ago to serve as your representative in Congress,” he said. “I’m fired up to go back to Washington and take another oath to fight for you.”

He finished with a less than gracious message to Avlon. “To my opponent: Despite spending $8 million on lies on abortion, residency, the border and everything else, thank you for running in this district.”

Avlon issued a statement to supporters on Wednesday morning. “Democracy depends on respecting the results even if you don't win,” it read in part. “Patriotism means loving your country no matter who is president.

“I ran for Congress because I was so concerned about the stakes of this election for our country and our community. That still stands. I'm proud of the campaign we ran and the team we built. We fought the good fight. But not every good fight wins the first time. Don’t lose faith.

“I have nothing but the deepest gratitude for your support and your enthusiasm. This was a people-powered campaign driven by the tireless dedication of all of you who wrote thousands of postcards, knocked on two-hundred thousand doors, and made countless phone calls. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.”

LaLota’s victory coincides with the reelection of former President Donald Trump, whom LaLota endorsed in January, and the Republicans’ capture of the Senate. As of Wednesday morning, control of the House of Representatives had not been determined.

Trump will have a stalwart ally in LaLota: Both men are proponents of policies including mass deportation of undocumented immigrants and domestic extraction of fossil fuels. When asked by The Express News Group in a September interview if he favors a mass deportation policy as espoused by Trump, LaLota said he envisions a decade-long program for “dealing with the issue that’s been created by President [Joe] Biden and Vice President [Kamala] Harris.”

In a second Trump presidency, “there will be a large focus on securing the border,” he said. “There’ll be 10 years to deal with how it is that we treat the 10, 15, 20 million people — and by the way, nobody knows how many people are actually here illegally.”

He also said that, while fossil fuel extraction, manufacturing and industry do affect the climate, the more than 40 billion barrels of proven U.S. oil reserves should be extracted.

In a district that has been represented by a Republican since Lee Zeldin ousted Tim Bishop in 2014, Avlon appeared to present the Democrats’ best opportunity to reclaim the seat since Perry Gershon won 47 percent of the vote against Zeldin in 2018. Zeldin won four consecutive elections in the district before opting to run for governor of New York, losing a close race to Governor Kathy Hochul in 2022.

The 2024 campaign was rancorous. LaLota, who lives in Amityville, outside of the 1st District’s boundaries, was quick to portray Avlon as a wealthy Manhattanite who is out of touch with the district. Avlon, who lives in Sag Harbor and Manhattan, emphasized LaLota’s early endorsement of Trump, a divisive figure in America’s modern political history.

While both candidates portrayed themselves as centrists, they clashed on multiple issues, from immigration to women’s reproductive freedom to criminal justice.

Avlon painted LaLota as a rubber stamp for Trump and said that his policies are out of step with the district, particularly with regard to reproductive freedom. He accused LaLota of supporting a 12-week abortion ban, while LaLota countered that he is against a national abortion ban but supports the right to an abortion only in the first trimester and in cases of rape, incest and if the pregnancy puts the mother’s life at risk.

Both candidates said that they adamantly support lifting the cap on the state and local tax deduction, which was capped at $10,000 in the Republican-led tax overhaul of 2017.

LaLota touted his rating as one of the most bipartisan members of the House and a willingness to cross party lines and criticize fellow Republicans when appropriate.