First-term Rep. Nick LaLota, R-N.Y., is projected to win the battle for a second term in Congress, a critical victory for House GOP leaders as they fight to keep their majority.
He defeated Democrat John Avlon, a former CNN anchor, the Associated Press projects, in a race that was expected to slightly favor Republicans but run tight overall.
The 2022 election cycle saw residents of suburban New York and California rebel against local cities’ progressive crime policies, leading to Republicans sweeping key seats outside the Big Apple, Los Angeles and the Bay Area.
LaLota’s district, which leans more to the right than several of his neighboring House constituencies, is one of 16 seats represented by a Republican that President Biden won in 2020.
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New York’s 1st Congressional District is located on Long Island, a suburban stretch of land just outside New York City. It includes a wide range of voters, from ultra-wealthy residents of the Hamptons to farm-centered communities like Jamesport.
LaLota is a Navy veteran who touts himself as a lifelong Long Island resident.
Avlon, who is an author in addition to being a journalist, left his job as a political commentator to run for office.
Both House Democrats’ and Republicans’ campaign arms dedicated time and resources to the race, part of their wider fight for control of Congress.
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LaLota has carved out a more moderate path than most of his Republican colleagues in Congress, as has much of the GOP New York delegation.
However, he was the first Biden-district Republican to endorse former President Donald Trump for re-election in 2024.
He also participated in a tele-rally held by Trump and House GOP Conference Chair Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., the Saturday before the White House hopeful’s massive rally at Madison Square Garden.
