John Avlon, Nancy Goroff Wage Dem Primary to Unseat Nick Lalota

SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY — On Tuesday, June 25, Suffolk County voters will head to the polls in the Democratic primary to decide which candidate will face off in the race this November against incumbent U.S. Rep. Nick Lalota, who represents 1st New York Congressional District.

Running, and aiming to flip the seat from red to blue, Sag Harbor's John Avlon, a former CNN political analyst and Daily Beast editor, and Nancy Goroff, a former Stony Brook chemistry professor, lost the race for the seat of Congress. Lee Zeldin in 2020.

In November 2022, Lalotta, a Republican, won the race against challenger Bridget Fleming for the District 1 seat vacated by former Congressman Lee Zeldin, ran an unsuccessful campaign to unseat incumbent New York State Governor Cathy Hotchul.

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

Here's a look at both Democratic candidates:

Yannis Avlon

On his campaign website, Avlon said about why he's running: “I'm running for Congress in New York's 1st District because so much is at stake for the country and community I love.

“Together, we can turn this position around and finally solve problems for Long Island families. We need to rebuild the middle class, protect women's reproductive rights, invest in our local infrastructure and transportation, and fight climate change.” change.”

He added: “This election is not an exercise. Now is the time for all of us to stand up and get off the fringes. Democrats cannot afford to lose this race.”

Avlon said, “I'm a native New Yorker and the grandson of immigrants. They instilled in me a deep love for our country and an appreciation that America's blessings cannot be taken for granted.”

Avlon said, on his website, that he “has warned of dangers to our democracy for over a decade — in books, columns and on television. This election is not a drill. Now is the time for us all to stand up and walk away.” by We must build the broadest coalition possible to defeat Donald Trump, defend democracy, and win back the House from MAGA's extreme minions.

He added: “If you've seen me on CNN or my appearances on 'Real Time with Bill Maher' or the 'Late Show with Stephen Colbert,' you know I've consistently called out the limitless extremism and poisonous polarization in politics I've tried to be the voice of reason in irrational times, preaching the need to focus on common events and common ground so that we can find solutions to our common problems.”

Nancy Goroff

Nancy Goroff is a scientist, teacher and community leader who built her life in Suffolk County. At Stony Brook, where he taught chemistry, he led the effort to provide health care to uninsured workers. She founded the Long Island Strong Schools Alliance, a nonprofit that helped defeat more than two dozen extremist Moms for Liberty candidates who were trying to ban books from our schools. In Congress, Gorov will take on MAGA extremists once again, fighting against their efforts to ban abortion nationwide and undermine our democracy. That's why she was endorsed by EMILYs List and honored by her local Planned Parenthood.

When asked why she thinks the race is so critical, Goroff told Patch, “Our current representative, Nick LaLota, is very extreme and is more interested in political stunts than doing things for the people of Long Island. He was the first member at When a conservative Republican senator negotiated a border security deal with Senate Democrats, LaLota spoke out against the deal before he even understood what was involved in properly representing the people of this area The people of New York deserve better. “

Discussing the issues that make up the pillars of her platform, Goroff said, “I'm running to defend our democracy and our rights, especially the right to abortion, which has been attacked by extremists across the country, to protect communities us from the weapons. violence and extreme weather caused by climate change, and to build an economy that works for all by fightingng the affordability crisis.

Goroff said she has “been in Long Island, Suffolk County, helping to build this community for decades. From my work at Stony Brook University where I taught chemistry and helped a group of uninsured workers get health care, to my work fighting for reproductive rights and access to health care with Planned Parenthood who gave me the Impact Award last year, at my nonprofit, the Long Island Strong Schools Alliance, where we defeated extremists running for school boards who attacked public schools and our children, the people of Long Island know they can count on me and trust that I will fight for them.”

Suffolk County, she said, is her home.” It's where I raised my children, taught at Stony Brook and founded a nonprofit to fight extremism locally in school board races. In Congress, I will continue to fight for our community, defend our democracy and rights, protect our families from gun violence and extreme weather caused by climate change, and build an economy that works for everyone.”

Gorov said she believes, “The way we make the world a better place is through hard work. It may not happen overnight, but if we keep working, we can build the future we want for ourselves and our children.”

Avlon and Goroff recently conducted a discussion with the League of Women Voters of ? This discussion can be viewed on YouTube.

During that debate, Avlon said he is running because he believes there is a lot at stake for the country and local communities. “We're in a dangerous place, we're on a knife's edge,” he said. “I'm the grandson of immigrants, and I was taught that you can't take the blessing of an American democracy for granted. American democracy is under threat.”

Avlon said he believes it is critical to build a “broad, patriotic coalition” to win the seat.

He said he left CNN because he and his wife felt deeply that they never wanted to feel like they “could have done more when it mattered most.”

Avlon recalled that the seat currently held by Republican Lalota was held by Democrat Tim Bishop for more than a decade.

He said the pillars of his campaign were fighting the “Trumpism fever that has divided our country.” protect reproductive freedom and address the affordability crisis that has frustrated residents from Greenport to Northport with rising grocery prices and other costs.

Gorov said she “rejects extremism”. He said he fought back at the local level, helping defeat more than 25 extremist MAGA school board candidates. But nationally, things are as bad as ever, and our representative Nick Lalotta is part of that dire picture. We absolutely deserve better than what Lalota is doing to all of us is all talk and no action.”

He said he's running to protect our reproductive rights, to fight for affordable economic issues like housing. to protect communities from gun violence and extremism and to educate about climate change.

During the debate, the candidates answered questions about issues including whether they could “work across the aisle to pass a bill that was good but not perfect.” both agreed that they could and would.

When asked about the Child Care Credit, Goroff said the tax credit had been extended during the pandemic, and during that time “we cut the child poverty rate in half. That's an incredible achievement. Republicans have refused to keep these expanded levels, and we need to bring them back because so many American families depend on it. We want to make sure that children have a real chance to succeed, regardless of the circumstances of their birth.”

Avlon said that as a father of two young children, he understands that the middle class on Long Island feels like “the system doesn't work for them,” but instead, only for the “super rich. We have to make sure we strengthen the middle class” and help them as they deal with the high costs of raising a family on Long Island, from housing to groceries, he said.

He said the federal child care tax credit is critical, as is restoring the state and local tax, or SALT credit, which would “put $10,000 back in the pockets of working families.”

During the debate, both stood firm in defending reproductive rights and making sure veterans' needs are met. They discussed how to help local farmers. Avlon said it was important to focus on comprehensive immigration reform because these seasonal, temporary workers were critical to Long Island agriculture.

Gorov said it was important not to “subsidize big farming but, instead, ensure that small farms get their share.” He also said seasonal workers were critical and said the government had a responsibility not only to small farmers but also to consumers, “to strengthen and diversify the food chain — that's better for the environment, better for farmers and better for us”.

During the debate, the candidates also discussed issues such as climate change. whether government should play a role in curbing social media and artificial intelligence; gun control? and international issues such as the position of the United States in relation to Ukraine and Israel; anti-Semitism; and voter fraud.

In closing, Gorov said, “We are working hard here to turn this position around.”

Added Avlon: This is no ordinary time, no ordinary election. We have a unique opportunity to turn this seat from red to blue. Democrats cannot afford to lose this race.”

Polls are open from 6am to 9pm on Tuesday.