New York’s 1st Congressional District encompasses two-thirds of Suffolk County, including the entirety of the East End and the northern portion of Brookhaven Town. The United States Congress is the lawmaking branch of the federal government. As the lower chamber, members of the House of Representatives work alongside U.S. senators and the president to craft and modify laws and establish the national budget.
In addition to writing, debating and passing legislation, congressional reps have several exclusive powers, including initiating bills to raise or lower taxes, impeaching federal officials, voting to approve declarations of war and electing the president in the event of an Electoral College tie.
There are currently 435 representatives in the House, each serving a two-year term, and there are no term limits. Members of Congress must be residents of the state they represent, but need not reside within the specific district. All seats are up for election this year and Republicans currently control the House majority by a slim margin.
Republican incumbent Nick LaLota took office in 2022 and is now running for reelection. The seat has not been held by a Democrat since Tim Bishop lost a reelection bid in 2015 to Mr. LaLota’s predecessor, Lee Zeldin. His Democratic challenger, John Avlon, is a newcomer to the political stage and hopes to flip the red seat to blue.
Recently, members of The Suffolk Times editorial staff met with Mr. Avlon to discuss his motivations for seeking office and outline his key priorities for serving the needs of District 1 voters.
John Avlon (D-Sag Harbor)
Mr. Avlon is a former CNN commentator who previously worked as editor-in-chief of The Daily Beast. He is also an author and presidential historian. Before joining The Daily Beast, he was a columnist and associate editor for The New York Sun, as well as a speechwriter for former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani during his second term and in the aftermath of 9/11. He was a co-founder of the bipartisan, not-for-profit political group, No Labels.
Mr. Avlon said he doesn’t see himself as a politician, but rather as a citizen running for office during what he feels is a time of crisis for the country. Despite running on the Democratic line, Mr. Avlon is a selfproclaimed centrist who said he believes in “rebuilding the middle” and closing the gap between the increasingly polarized political parties.
If elected, he said he hopes to lead with common sense and common decency.
Mr. Avlon outlined his legislative priorities, which include working towards comprehensive immigration reform, restoring state and local tax (SALT) deductions, expanding the Child Tax Credit and making Long Island a leader in the next generation of green technology. “I think most people just want to get back to something resembling normal, where we can work together,” he said. “This election is a test. Sometimes I think journalists get dragged into this when we’re trying to make sure that we’re being fair and balanced — but actually end up sort of finding ways to excuse the inexcusable by any normal civic standard, and I think that’s where we are. We’ve got to hold [politicians’] feet to that fire.”
On taxes: Mr. Avlon criticized Mr. LaLota’s lack of action toward restoring the SALT deductions and said he believes his opponent and other Republicans are more invested in exploiting the “red-state, blue-state divide.” He said that former President Donald Trump’s tax cuts are set to expire in 2025 and that Republicans want to extend them, which could mean that SALT deductions would continue to be unavailable on federal tax returns. “Why would you trust [Republicans] to restore it when they’re the ones who took it away?” he asked, adding that restoring the tax break would put “an average of $10,000 back in working families’ pockets here on Long Island every year.”
Mr. Avlon also supports the expansion of the Child Tax Credit, which was increased in the 2021 tax year from $2,000 to $3,600 for children under 6 and $3,000 for children under 18 as part of the COVID- era American Rescue Plan. Extending the credit garnered bipartisan support and passed the House in January 2024, but the measure was blocked in August by Senate Republicans, who voted against it.
“We cut child poverty in half,” Mr. Avlon said. “That’s a game changer in terms of just giving people a little bit more breathing room, help them keep their heads a little bit more above water — it is the right thing to do.”
On affordable housing and supporting the local economy: When discussing the need for more attainable housing opportunities on the East End, Mr. Avlon emphasized the importance of preserving open space and maintaining community standards in all development decisions, especially when it comes to historic character and boosting small businesses.
Some ideas he supports include tax credits for multi-generational businesses to incentivize them to stay in local communities, revitalizing the “aging stock” of retail shopping malls and offering tax breaks to spur residential development above street level commercial properties. “It’s not going to replace downtown, but it creates another adjunct,” Mr. Avlon said. “[The malls have] all the makings for a popup community — and it will allow folks to live closer to where they’re working.”
If elected, Mr. Avlon said he would support passage of the 2023 Helpers Act, which provides affordable mortgage opportunities to first responders and teachers by eliminating the down payment and monthly mortgage insurance requirements for first-time home buyers. He added that he would advocate extending the 100% financing opportunity to nurses as well. The bill is still going through committee hearings and a vote on its passage has yet to be scheduled.
“We need to make sure that cops, firefighters, teachers and nurses can live in or near the communities they serve,” Mr. Avlon said. “They’re the soul of the community. I think this would also depolarize the issue of housing that’s affordable because it’s being set aside for cops, firefighters, teachers and nurses — all of a sudden everyone gets on board.”
On immigration and border security: Mr. Avlon stressed the need for comprehensive immigration reform to strengthen the economy and increase security. He said the crisis at the border must be dealt with but noted that the law must be enforced in a “humane way.” He said President Trump’s call for mass deportations is “not practical” and said the implications of such sweeping policies must be considered.“We have allowed [asylum seekers] to come to the border, say a couple of magic sentences, and then we haven’t hired the judges to adjudicate the claims in a reasonable time. You end up with people in the country for four-plus years, and in many cases, they’re not allowed to work, so you’re fueling a black market,” Mr. Avlon said. “It makes no sense, and it undercuts American workers and people who are doing it the right way.”
One potential solution, he said, is to provide temporary work visas for asylum seekers awaiting adjudication and allow business owners to sponsor undocumented workers who have been with the company for long periods. He noted there are also public health concerns to consider. “If you create a situation where you have undocumented workers in those communities who are afraid to go to hospitals, then that’s an incubation [of a] public health crisis,” Mr. Avlon said. “If you keep them in the black market, you’re going to increase illegal activities, and it puts them and their kids at risk.”
On climate change and protecting the environment: If chosen to represent New York’s 1st District, Mr. Avlon expressed an interest in serving on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, in conjunction with the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee, to work to combat climate change, protect water quality and strengthen coastal resiliency.
One initiative he would propose is to offer a tax deduction to homeowners and small businesses who make their properties more resilient. “We’ve got thousands of miles of coastline that doesn’t give a damn what political party you belong to,” Mr. Avlon said. “Stopping coastal erosion is good for everybody, benefits your property. This isn’t a government mandate; let’s incentivize it.” Mr. Avlon said he believes Long Island can become a leader in the next generation of green technology, as has already been seen with the expansion of the wind power industry. He noted the vital role area institutions such as Stony Brook University and Brookhaven National Lab can play in combating climate change.
“Innovating our way out of the problem is generally the most American way to do things,” Mr. Avlon said.“We’ve got to make sure those businesses, those technologies are developed here and commercialized here, and we’ve got an edge in keeping those businesses here. That’s an enormous reason to be optimistic about the future.”