Candidate Profile: John Avlon For NY's 1st Congressional District

SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY — Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5 and GOP incumbent Nick LaLota and challenger John Avlon, a Democrat, are waging a fierce race to win the New York State 1st Congressional District seat.

After redistricting, New York's 1st Congressional District includes both the North and South Forks, Riverhead, the northern part of Brookhaven Town, all of Smithtown and all of Huntington.

In anticipation of the election, Patch asked candidates in the contested races to answer questions about their campaigns. Here are their answers, lightly edited for clarity.

Name

John Avlon

Campaign website

www.johnavlon.com

City or town of residence

Sag Harbor

Office sought

US House NY-01

Party affiliation

Democrat

Education

Yale University (BA), Columbia University (MBA)

Occupation

Journalist and author of books including Washington’s Farewell and Lincoln and the Fight for Peace.

Family

I am married to my wife, Margaret Hoover. We have two young children.

Does anyone in your family work in politics or government?

My wife hosts the Firing Line on PBS and formerly worked in government and politics.

Age

51

Previous public office, appointive or elective

n/a

Why are you seeking this office?

I'm a native New Yorker, the grandson of immigrants and the father of two young kids. I’ve worked most of my career as a journalist and author, recently as a CNN anchor and senior political analyst, where my Reality Check segments aired on the morning show and across the network. I joined CNN fulltime after working as editor-in-chief and managing director of The Daily Beast for five years — during which time we won 17 awards for journalistic excellence. I first became engaged with politics because I was inspired by Bill Clinton’s presidential campaigns and his “third way” approach.

I later worked for the Republican Mayor of New York and served as chief speechwriter during the attacks of 9/11, where my team and I were responsible for writing the eulogies for the firefighters and police officers murdered in the destruction of the World Trade Center. They didn’t give their lives to have our nation tear itself apart two decades later. I believe that now is the time for our generation to step up and build a broad patriotic coalition to defend our democracy — and I didn’t want to look back and tell my children that I could have done more when it mattered most. I believe that we need to rebuild the middle of our politics and the middle of our economy. We need leadership that can bring us together to do it. That’s why I’m running for Congress.

What are the major differences between you and the other candidates seeking this post?

The starkest difference between my opponent is our position on reproductive freedom. My opponent celebrated the overturn of Roe V. Wade and said it was a "step in the right direction." He’s even said that New York’s abortion protections are too extreme and should be repealed. In contrast, I support a woman’s right to choose and think it’s not acceptable that my daughter has fewer rights than my mother. I support the Women’s Health Protection Act which will restore the protections under Roe. Fundamentally, I believe that the decision to have an abortion should be between a woman, her doctor, and her God — not the government.

What is your position on reproductive rights?

The decision to have an abortion should be between a woman, her doctor, and her God — not the government. But the fact is that young women today are growing up with fewer rights than their mothers did. Trump’s Supreme Court appointees took away the constitutional right to reproductive freedom after 50 years of Roe v Wade — and they lied to the American people about their determination to do it. Nick LaLota cheered the repeal of Roe and said he wants states to go further. Now, Donald Trump is saying that women should have their pregnancies tracked while states like Alabama are going after IVF, Florida has imposed a 6-week ban and the Republican Speaker of the House is an advocate for a national abortion ban. We need a Democratic congress to protect reproductive freedom.

What other issues do you intend to address during your campaign?

Affordability crisis and rebuilding the middle class: Republicans raised taxes for corporate breaks while capping the State and Local Tax deduction that Long Islanders have depend on for more than a century. Democrats will restore SALT and increase the child tax credit to aid working families and reduce child poverty. That’s more than $10,000 on average per year for hard-working middle class families here on Long Island — every year. If Republicans get elected, it’s gone for good. If Democrats get elected, you’ll get that money back in your pocket — every year.

Reproductive freedom: Abortion should be left to a woman, her doctor, and her God — not the government. Trump's appointees overturned Roe v. Wade, and Republicans in Congress want further restrictions on abortion. I’ll fight to protect reproductive freedom.

Defending democracy: When I am elected to Congress I will work to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act, the Freedom to Vote Act, and the Protecting Our Democracy Act to boost participation. We need to strengthen American democracy in the 21st Century. Reforms needed include redistricting reform, ranked choice voting, automatic voter registration, term limits and combating disinformation by bringing back civics education.

What accomplishments in your past would you cite as evidence you can handle this job?

Being an effective member of Congress requires leadership skills developed outside of politics. It benefits from an understanding of American history, the ability to work together across differences to achieve common goals, and a determination to focus on solutions rather than problems. I've been a journalist for most of the past two decades, including five years as editor in chief of The Daily Beast. Before that I was chief speechwriter to the mayor of New York, where my team and I wrote the eulogies for the firefighters and police officers murdered in the destruction of the World Trade Center. I've written four books focusing primarily on American political history and how our greatest leaders — including Washington and Lincoln — were able to be uniters in divided times. My work at CNN as an anchor helps me be comfortable expressing fact-based analysis clearly and forcefully. And my marriage to my wife Margaret Hoover — a proud Republican — is a constant reminder that we all need to be able to disagree agreeably and often our political differences are differences of principle: there's always more than unites us than divides us. Looking back, I believe all of these experiences have helped prepare me to be an effective representative for New York's First District in Congress.

What problems facing your district would you look to solve if you are elected?

Beyond affordability and the cost of living crisis, I want to deliver federal resources to make Long Island more resilient to climate change. In Suffolk County, the environment is the economy, and the economy is the environment: from farming and fishing to tourism and recreation. But as storm surges, erosion, and flooding become commonplace in nearly every coastal community on Long Island, we all need to confront the fact that climate change is real and impacting our community and our economy right now. Decades of climate change denial from the far-right has hurt our ability to deal with this problem. Our communities are unable to handle the ever-intensifying rainfall we are experiencing more and more frequently. We saw the devastation that extreme rain brought to New York’s first Congressional district from Smithtown to Rocky Point. That’s why I have called on investing $1 billion every year in FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) Grant Program. BRIC isn’t just another government acronym; it’s a crucial resource for states, local communities, tribes, and territories to tackle hazard mitigation head-on, reducing disaster risks before they strike. The goal is simple: stop reacting after disasters and start building resilience now.

Cancer is a prominent health issue for Long Islanders and is a leading cause of death for children. What measures would you take to help lower cancer rates and bolster research in the field?

The crown jewel of the American biotechnology research industry is the National Institutes of Health. There is consistent, bipartisan support for continued investment in NIH to fund the necessary research to deliver the cures so many families are desperate to have. I plan to carry on and expand that legacy of support for the NIH when I get to Congress.

What would you do to help small businesses struggling with inflation and the cost of goods needed to manufacture their products?

There is no doubt we need to do more to help our small businesses. Since 2019, small businesses have accounted for 70 percent of net new jobs in the United States. We cannot have a robust growing economy without small businesses and that’s why we must create an environment that allows entrepreneurs to succeed. That is why we need to restore the State and Local Tax deduction and tackle the housing crisis to put more cash back in Long Islanders’ wallets so they have that extra money to enjoy our small businesses. The cost of goods and component parts is also why cannot allow extreme and reckless trade policy like an across-the-board 20 percent tariff on imported goods to be put in place. This will cripple our small business who depend on materials made in other countries and would likely be met with retaliatory tariffs and a trade war that would wipeout far too many small business.

Water quality is critical to the region. What plans do you have to help improve water quality and keep it safe for generations?

I have already said it, but in Suffolk County, the environment is the economy, and the economy is the environment. It is critical that we appropriately address our water quality issues head-on. That is why I am supporting the bipartisan Water Quality Restoration Act which is Question 2 on the ballot this November. The Water Quality Restoration Act will provide the funds necessary expand and improve our wastewater infrastructure and protect Long Island’s aquifer. If I am fortunate enough to earn the support of NY-01 voters, I intend to serve on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and specifically on the Water Resources and Environment Subcommittee to better position myself to leverage federal resources to protect and improve our water quality.

How can the immigration crisis be addressed at the federal and local level? Can federal and local officials work together?

Legal immigration is our nation's greatest renewable resource. But illegal immigration reduces faith that our system works fairly and effectively. So it shouldn't be controversial to say that America needs more legal immigration and less illegal immigration. That’s why I strongly support the bipartisan border security bill which would have funded an additional 1,500 Customs and Border Protection personnel, raised the standards to make a legitimate asylum claim, and shutdown border crossings if border offices become overwhelmed. This legislation would have also cracked down on human trafficking and funded new technology to stop the flow of fentanyl into our streets, which is killing a generation of young Americans. I absolutely believe that federal and local officials must work together to help solve this but the federal government must take the lead. Unfortunately, my opponent opposed the bipartisan border bill and helped block it from getting a vote in the House of Representatives. I believe that fear-mongering over a problem and then refusing it is a firing offense. I will vote for that bipartisan border security legislation on Day One to help restore order at the border and I will never put politics over good policy.

What can be done about inflation, which some say can be attributed to price gauging?

Thankfully, the annual rate of inflation is back down to 2.5 percent — and near the Federal Reserve’s goal of 2 percent — but prices are far too high and none is more acute than housing. I believe we must build our way out of this. That is why I have proposed amending existing housing tax credits for developers to redevelop underutilized already developed strip malls. In discussions I have had with property owners and developers it can often be more expensive to take a property offline or demolish existing structures to redevelop it into mixed used commercial and residential buildings than it is to clear cut and start new. But we must protect Long Island’s remaining open space. Providing targeted tax credits to redevelop properties that already have sewer and transportation access is smart way to increase the housing supply and protect our open spaces. Beyond housing we must hold large companies accountable for taking advantage of the post-pandemic market to jack up prices unfairly — especially major grocery store chains. I support giving the Attorney General the authority, resources, and directive to put a stop to price gauging.

The median cost of renting on Long Island falls between $2,000 and $3,100. How can more affordable housing options be created?

Housing prices whether you are renting or buying a starter home are far too high for far too many Long Islanders. We have to come together and build more housing that preserves the historic character of our communities while ensuring that essential workers like teachers and nurses and first responders can live in the communities in which they serve. That’s why I plan to introduce legislation similar to the HELPERS Act to help provide tax incentives to build affordable housing for special set asides for essential workers like cops, firefighters, teachers, and nurses.

What is your stance on SALT (State and Local Tax Relief)?

Donald Trump and Washington Republicans raised our taxes — and they did it out of spite, as part of a political stunt so they could fund billions more in special tax breaks for big corporations and the super-rich. They used the tax code as a partisan weapon by capping the State and Local Tax Deduction, which targeted blue states (which generally give more tax dollars to the federal government than they get back). Long Island families have depended on the SALT deduction for decades. But Washington Republicans are never going to restore it because their party is just too invested in the partisan red-state/blue-state divide. But I will fight to restore the SALT deductions if we take back Congress.

What needs to be done to keep Long Island streets safe from crime?

We need to be tough on crime and tough on the causes of crime. Public safety is a fundamental civil right: citizens have a right to expect safe, clean streets and criminals need to be held accountable for their actions. But we also have a right to expect a criminal justice system that is fair, where those few police officers who abuse their power aren’t above the law. We need to invest in community policing and other proven crime-fighting strategies to ensure that Suffolk remains one of the safest places to live and raise a family. My opponent actually voted to cut funding for the FBI and other critical law enforcement agencies. When I am in Congress, I will advocate for robust funding for the COPS grants which help local law enforcement departments put officers on the streets and keep our communities safe.

The DWI/DWAI rate is escalating island wide. What measures can you fight for, to address the escalating addiction crisis?

While drunk driving is largely a state and local issue there is a lot that can be done at the federal level in terms of resources to make sure that our communities are as safe as can be. When I get to Congress I plan to serve on the Transportation and Infrastructure Committee and use that perch to leverage greater resources for Suffolk County. Using federal resources we can make sure our roads are safer and we can make sure that law enforcement has the resources it needs to stop drivers from driving under the influence through the COPS grant program. I believe that addiction is a health care issue not a moral issue and to properly address addiction we need to make sure that folks have adequate health care. Thanks to the Affordable Care Act, insurers are required to cover substance use disorder. You can count on me to protect the ACA and fight to extend the enhanced premium subsidies for ACA plans which have been especially helpful in New York where the cost of living is higher. The enhanced subsidies expire after 2025 and we already know a Republican majority will do little to nothing to build upon the ACA even when it helps their own constituents.

What is the best advice anyone ever gave you?

My grandfather, one of the best men I ever knew, came to America through Ellis Island, served in the Second World War became a surgeon and raised five children with his wife of 50+ years. He was a sunny personality but had gravitas as well — a true but unassuming gentleman. He used to say “the harder I work the luckier I get.” And that always stuck with me because I believe that working hard is one of the few things we can control. The best advice overall is simply the Golden Rule: articulated by Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount but reflected in virtually every faith tradition: "Treat other people as you'd like to be treated." We could use a return to the Golden Rule in our politics.

Is there anything else you would like voters to know about yourself and your positions?

If you really want to know me — other than spending time with me in person or talking to my family and friends — the best way to understand who I am and what I believe is to read my books. My first book was a history of centrist leaders in American politics called Independent Nation. My second book was about the rise of extremism in modern American politics called Wingnuts. My most recent books have been about George Washington's Farewell Address and most recently Lincoln and the Fight for Peace. All these books are in some way about the dangers of hyper partisanship and polarization — and the kind of leadership that helps overcome those forces to defend our democracy.