New York’s First Congressional (NY-01) is one of the largest congressional districts in the nation by population and is an economic powerhouse for New York State and the northeast region of the country. The district, while fundamentally Republican leaning, has been at all ends of the competitive table in recent elections.
Because of its outsized importance in congressional politics, and the influence it can give its representative, NY-01 has witnessed successive election cycles marked by candidates who lack substantial ties to the district and its residents yet seek to represent them.
In 2018, Perry Gershon (D) challenged then-Congressman Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) for the seat. Zeldin, lifelong Suffolk resident, was running for a third term against Gershon, whose New York City residence earned him the moniker “Park Avenue Perry.” Despite the national Democratic year and the GOP losing three House seats in New York, Zeldin outperformed the national average and was re-elected by about four points.
In 2022, the Republican primary featured Michelle Bond, a cryptocurrency magnate who had big money behind her and big names stumping for her in NY-01. The Messenger filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request and found that her registered voting addresses were in Potomac, Maryland. She was squarely defeated in the primary by now-Congressman Nick LaLota (R).
Now, 2024 is shaping up to be no exception, as The Messenger can exclusively report on the apparent Manhattan residency of Democratic candidate John Avlon (D).
Manhattan Attachments
Avlon’s attachments to NYC are evident in his real estate holdings. His Gramercy Park co-op, located at 149 East 19th Street, Unit 6, was purchased in 2015 for $3.6 million.
The building consists of six units and is owned and maintained by the Chanler House Corp. Tax records obtained by The Messenger from the New York City Department of Finance shows that the building, which includes 147 to 149 East 19th Street, are enrolled in the NYC co-op/condo tax abatement program. Enrollment in the program requires that all tenants have their units as their primary residences.
The tax block number, 875, and tax lot number, 38, are shown on the bill of sale of Avlon’s unit in his name and are corroborated by the NYC Department of Buildings website.
Recent sightings also show Avlon entering and leaving the building in April 2024, further cementing his residency in New York City. On April 6, Avlon was seen leaving the residence. The date is corroborated by the New York Post’s front page for April 6 pinned to a fence just beside the front door to Avlon’s building. The paper is seen depicting a shocked Statue of Liberty next to the headline “The Earth moved for Us,” regarding the New Jersey earthquake felt the day before.
Avlon has been seen leaving and entering his Manhattan residence over the last several weeks, showing a regular attendance in the Big Apple.
The Messenger also submitted a Freedom of Information Law (FOIL) request to the Suffolk County Board of Elections (BoE) for Avlon’s voter profile. The documents obtained show that 2020 is Avlon’s date of effective registration at his Sag Harbor address. He purchased the Southampton home for $1.5 million in 2017.
According to records from the BoE, Avlon participated in the early voting, which requires in-person attendance, for the November 2020 general election and the 2024 Presidential Primary earlier this month. However, it also shows that he voted absentee in the November general elections for 2021, 2022, and 2023, all of which include local races.
The Sag Harbor residence, located at 70 John Street, has a listing on apartments.com, a website for viewing and leasing rental properties. The listing currently shows “check back soon for upcoming availability,” with rental terms listed as August to Labor Day for $25,000, and other/short-term rentals within the period as $5,000.
Professional Past
Avlon is former editor-in-chief and managing director of The Daily Beast, a left-leaning news website that discusses politic, media, and pop culture, from 2013 to 2018. In 2018, Avlon moved to CNN as a full-time Senior Political Analyst and made daily appearances on the show New Day, with a segment called “Reality Check.” Avlon then hosted the digital series Reality Check with John Avlon: Extremist Beat.
Avlon is also a founding member of No Labels, a 501(c)(4) organization started in 2010 to call for centrism, bipartisanship, and common sense problem-solving. Avlon ended his affiliation with No Labels when he became editor of The Daily Beast 2013.
Avlon also served as a speechwriter for former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani (R) and was appointed by former Mayor Michael Bloomberg to the New York City Voter Assistance Advisory Committee. The VAAC advises the New York City Campaign Finance Board on its voter engagement, participation, and outreach.
Despite his past as an Independent, at least nominally, Avlon is running in the Democratic primary against 2020 congressional candidate Nancy Goroff (D-Stony Brook).
Questionable Suffolk Roots
Avlon’s roots and involvement in Suffolk politics have been called into question by Congressman LaLota, as well as several others.
Perhaps the most notable gaffe to date is Avlon’s multiple uses of the phrase “in Long Island” over “on Long Island.” Native Long Islanders insist the latter is the correct usage of the phrase, while out-of-towners are consistently corrected on the matter.
At a Democratic Candidates forum on March 11, Avlon said an object of the campaign was to make “life a little easier and better here in Long Island.”
Congressman LaLota replied to the video on X, formerly known as Twitter: “Saying ‘in’ Long Island instead of ‘on’ Long Island shows you haven’t spent much time here. When Manhattanite @johnavlon made this mistake this week, it showed the arrogance and ego of a man using his Hamptons summer home to run for Congress to represent a people he doesn’t know.”
In a March 22 post on X, Avlon replied to Newsday’s Bacon, Egg, and Cheese (BEC) Battle, an exhibition contest run completely on public opinion on which establishment on Long Island has the best Bacon, Egg, and Cheese breakfast sandwich, a quintessential Long Island staple.
Avlon replied: “The winner of the best BEC in LI has been revealed – a hungry congrats to Everything Bagel in Commack!”
Avlon has since claimed that he has made his home in Sag Harbor his primary residence. However, he has stated that his wife and children will remain in New York City until the end of the school year.
Additionally, Avlon has no record of advocacy or governmental work in or for Suffolk County. He has, however, explained his intent to run for the seat in an interview with The Hollywood Reporter.
“I love my job and my colleagues at CNN, and they are doing important work, but I felt that there is a real chance to flip a seat from a first term Republican, sort of Trump hugger/Trump flunkey, who is far too right for the district,” Avlon said.
Despite a late start to the campaign, Avlon has raked in over $1.1 million in the first quarter of 2024. Goroff’s $323,000 pales in comparison, while LaLota has raised over $560,000. However, LaLota has the cash-on-hand advantage, with a sizeable
$1.7 million war chest as opposed to Avlon’s $1.03 million and Goroff’s $625,000 in the bank.
The numbers are expected to rise dramatically as Goroff and Avlon advance to a primary, and as New York is shaping up to host, yet again, a number of national marquee races.
