We Mark Our Ballot

For the House

Every single national election is important, but it’s not hyperbolic to say that this is an election like no other, and it requires a level of participation and engagement far beyond a typical November vote. It’s always important to have a healthy turnout, but in 2024 the nation’s future is on the ballot to a degree that we haven’t seen in recent history. This one will truly matter, for years to come.

The bald truth is that Donald Trump is uniquely unfit to serve as president, considering character, demeanor and personal history. His four years in the White House were a period of domestic strife, poor decision-making and corruption. Many didn’t survive a pandemic made worse by his own, and his administration’s, chaotic and paranoid response. It was a dark period in American history. Returning to it would be disastrous — and Trump’s rhetoric this time promises an even greater lurch toward authoritarian rule and terrifying consequences for immigrant families, LGBTQ+ people and women in particular.

That filter must be applied to every U.S. House and Senate race, including the 1st District race that encompasses the South Fork. Should Trump prevail, he will be even more dangerous with a majority from a Republican Party that has been co-opted by the MAGA movement and has shown no penchant for keeping him in check.

The incumbent representative, Nick LaLota, has been, by some measures, an effective freshman legislator. He touts his bipartisan bona fides; he has, in fact, cast a few independent votes that better represent the views of his constituents than the GOP hard line. But, when push comes to shove, he appears to go only as far as the party’s leash allows: His vehemence in repealing the cap on the SALT deduction is tolerated precisely because it’s a measure that Republicans have effectively locked down. On abortion, his commitment to oppose a national ban appears sincere — but he’s on record as celebrating the repeal of Roe v. Wade, and when he expands on his so-called opposition to extreme positions, a clearer picture emerges. He echoes nonsensical rhetoric about late-term abortions and other scare tactics that should give no woman comfort. He might not support a ban, but he’s likely to entertain more restrictions.

There also is the nagging feeling that LaLota, who eagerly endorsed Trump this year, will only grow more MAGA if he wins the presidency — and especially on immigration, since he chooses to downplay and ignore the increasingly hostile rhetoric and plans for mass deportation of many local working men and women, and their families. Those extreme views align with only a portion of regular 1st District voters — which he would know if he spent any time in their physical presence, instead of relying on dog-and-pony “virtual town halls.” (He also failed to schedule an interview with this editorial board, though he did participate in an in-depth series of interviews on six key topics this campaign season.) A U.S. representative should be a conduit for information flowing both ways; LaLota seems willing to reach out and visit when there are issues that involve him, but there’s precious little evidence that he’s willing to listen to constituents who might have different views from his.

And, one last thing: He pledged to move into the 1st District from Amityville if he was elected two years ago. The law doesn’t require him to live in the district, but it’s troubling that he has gone back on that promise — and then had the audacity to suggest that his opponent, a longtime Sag Harbor fixture, is the carpetbagger.

Bottom line: In this election, the 1st District should send a strong message that there is no compromise on women’s reproductive rights, that we do not want mass deportations to solve a border problem with more rational and humane solutions, that a party that supports a convicted felon for president doesn’t have the country’s best interests at heart, that our foreign policy shouldn’t involve subservience to strongmen, and that true bipartisanship is a big tent but not big enough to include Trump. Or, sadly, LaLota.

It’s difficult to find strong enough language, but perhaps this is it: Nick LaLota is a man of character and intelligence; in the “1st District Matters” podcast, he presents his positions clearly, without malice and shows real insight at times. Reasonable people can disagree over politics. But in 2024, knowing what we know, LaLota’s dogged support for Trump is simply disqualifying.

John Avlon is not just a default choice: The Democratic nominee is articulate, thoughtful, engaging, open to a variety of viewpoints and appears to be far from a zealous partisan — certainly not the cartoon liberal his opponent suggests. Avlon’s career at CNN focused on the idea of “common sense,” and his campaign has done likewise.

A journalist and historian, Avlon is exactly the kind of clear-headed thinker the 1st District should send to Washington, D.C., as its representative, a throwback to the days when Southampton’s Tim Bishop was always the smartest man in the room and willing to engage all sides in a conversation about the nation and its future. Because that future has rarely been so precarious.

State Races

Whoever wins the State Assembly seat from District 1 will have big shoes to fill. Fred W. Thiele Jr., who has been the assemblyman since gas in New York was 78 cents a gallon — and who, himself, followed a legend in John Behan — has earned his retirement after nearly 30 years in state office.

Two East End residents, Democrat Tommy John Schiavoni of North Haven and Republican Stephen Kiely of Mattituck, will vie for the seat. It’s unfair to suggest that either is running to be the next Assemblyman Thiele: That’s probably too high a bar, considering Thiele’s position as the region’s conscience, its oracle on so many issues over the last three decades, and as effective a legislator as the district has ever had.

But Tommy John Schiavoni makes a solid case for having the demeanor and background to be the region’s voice in Albany. His time on the Southampton Town Board has been mixed, but he has been a clear advocate on the most important issue, affordable housing. He worked hard in support of the Community Housing Fund’s passage, and while he has been mostly a background player on the Town Board, he has the mix of confidence and humility that would serve him well as assemblyman.

Kiely is a well-known figure at local town halls, having served as an attorney and had stints as a legal advisor in many towns and villages. A former Southampton resident, he’s knowledgeable about the region and its issues and is fully qualified to serve in the Assembly. But his focus appears to be on several hot-button Republican talking points that he’s eager to litigate in the halls of government, and his vision for the region’s affordable housing future is murky at best.

Meanwhile, Anthony Palumbo is the clear choice for another term from the 1st Senate District — and, as a Republican, evidence that excellence is not all about party at the state level. (Note that Fred Thiele was part of seemingly every party at some point in his political career.) Palumbo, a resident of New Suffolk, is, in fact, a good candidate to fill the role that Thiele has filled in providing general counsel to the region on a variety of issues. He’s nonpartisan, evenhanded and ready to work, or talk with, anyone to advance the region’s interests.

Sarah Anker, a resident of Mount Sinai, is a Democratic stalwart who has a long record in elected office and is a fine candidate in her own right. Her advocacy background shines through, and she would be an interesting choice with her willingness to tackle big ideas and to build coalitions to solve problems. But, honestly, her grasp of South Fork issues was less than convincing, and she has the bad luck of facing an incumbent who, in his early career, shows hints of potentially joining his predecessor, Ken LaValle, and Thiele as distinguished public servants.