Republican Rep. Nick LaLota wins reelection, defeating former CNN analyst John Avlon

Republican Rep. Nick LaLota will return to Congress next year after beating first-time Democrat John Avlon, a first-time candidate, in Suffolk County’s 1st Congressional District. The competitive race drew attention as one that Democrats thought they could flip, in a year when New York’s swing districts may help determine control of the House of Representatives.

In September, Avlon’s campaign was added to the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee’s “Red to Blue” program – an effort to provide support and fundraising in red seats the Democrats felt were in reach – joining Democratic challenger Laura Gillen in the nearby 4th Congressional District.

LaLota and Avlon faced off in recent weeks over local and national issues, as they both angled to be seen as moderates while tying their opponent to the big-picture liabilities of their respective parties. 

Avlon attempted to paint LaLota as an apologist for former President Donald Trump’s controversial statements, even calling him a “Trump minion.” He looked to appeal to moderate Republicans who were dissatisfied with Trump and received support from anti-Trump Republicans like former Reps. Liz Cheney and Adam Kinzinger.

LaLota called himself a “common-sense conservative” and attempted to paint Avlon, a former CNN analyst who moved his permanent residency to Sag Harbor from Manhattan in 2020, as a carpetbagger who was out of touch with Suffolk County residents.

During the campaign, Avlon repeatedly pressed LaLota on abortion and ran ads highlighting LaLota’s support for the overturning of Roe v. Wade. LaLota countered that the ads misrepresented his abortion views and that he did not support a national abortion ban. 

LaLota spent the final weeks of his campaign focusing heavily on Avlon’s support of Prop 1, the ballot proposal to add the Equal Rights Amendment to the state constitution. LaLota accused Avlon of failing to protect girls’ sports – a common conservative line of attack against the amendment, which would both strengthen abortion rights and prohibit discrimination against people based on their gender identity. In debates, LaLota steered the conversation away from Trump and back toward local constituent issues.

LaLota led Avlon in the polls for much of the campaign and despite being outspent by over $700,000, LaLota ultimately beat Avlon by more than 10 percentage points. The 1st Congressional District will stay red, as it has been since former Rep. Lee Zeldin was first elected in 2014.