John Avlon (D-Gramercy Park) defeated former Stony Brook professor Nancy Goroff (D-Stony Brook) in Tuesday night’s Democratic primary for New York’s First Congressional District. While we’re thrilled that someone of the politics of Nancy Goroff won’t be representing NY-01 in Congress next year, we’re not entirely sure the alternative is that much better.
On top of working as a talking head for CNN, a news agency that has fallen from its former prestige in a satisfyingly spectacular way, Avlon seems to think that simply owning a home in Suffolk County makes him a full-time resident.
As per an exclusive report done by The Messenger, New York City tax documents show that Avlon’s condo at 149 E 19 Street in Manhattan is part of the condo/co-op tax abatement program, one for which landlords can only qualify if tenants are primary residents.
Avlon was also observed by The Messenger entering and leaving his apartment over the course of several days. Vanity Fair also wrote in an April 1 interview with Avlon that he and his wife, Margaret Hoover, bought their Sag Harbor home in 2017, but that Avlon did not live there full-time until just February.
“Avlon and Hoover bought the Sag Harbor pad in 2017 as a second home, after renting it during their vacations; Avlon moved there full time in February, and the rest of the family plans to join him after the school year,” wrote Vanity Fair.
So, it seems like we have yet another carpetbagger on our hands this year for NY-01. We’re sorry if you don’t think Congressman Nick LaLota (R, NY-01) was a viable candidate for your vote this year, but the Democratic Party has done you a disservice by insisting on pathologically fielding candidates to stop returning to the threadbare bench of chronic underperformers. Goroff underperformed the national environment massively in 2020, losing to Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley) by just under ten points.
Goroff is also an awkward campaigner, and some constituents felt her television advertisements were too robotic, as was the problem in 2020.
However, to Goroff’s credit, she and her campaign knew Avlon is a carpetbagger, and explored that path to victory on television ads and even in their last week discussion with The Messenger. The campaign asserted that while Avlon was busy in Manhattan, Goroff was working in Suffolk County.
We can’t be more ideologically opposed to Goroff, but we can at least give her the bare minimum in that she actually lives and works in Suffolk County, and that she at least knows how to run good negative advertisements against her opponent.
But for those who might be disillusioned by the Democrats’ priorities this year: Did Congressman LaLota bring back over $150 million in federal funding to Suffolk County for Brookhaven National Laboratory, Port Jefferson Harbor dredging and infrastructure, Fisher’s Island and Gabreski Airports, Smithtown stormwater infrastructure, and Stony Brook University, to name a few?
Did Congressman LaLota join bipartisan ranks to increase access to over-the-counter contraceptives, fight the national scourge of fentanyl and xylazine, maintain and protect the Long Island Sound, promote national security with a defense bill, protect and fund Veterans’ homes and benefits, and promote aviation security, to name a few?
If you answered ‘yes’ to any and/or all of the above benefits Suffolk County has received after just a year-and-a-half of LaLota’s tenure – and ‘yes’ is the objectively correct answers to all – then you probably find yourself with an effective representative who truly knows what’s important to Suffolk County residents. We’re not confident in Avlon’s ability to effectively represent the residents of NY-01. He seems to be in it just to combat national political headwinds and be another Democratic pawn on the chessboard of the House of Representatives, rather than be a working member of a cohesive, bipartisan (ideally) environment.
Furthermore, Goroff and Avlon have both called LaLota a “MAGA extremist” or “Trump sycophant,” or insults along those lines. LaLota has objectively stayed away from hot-button talking points and has not hugged the Trump campaign closely. Not that this is necessarily a make-or-break for Republican voters. It shouldn’t be; LaLota is doing his job, not kowtowing to any political movement.
Detractors like the now-suspended George Santos (R-Queens) called LaLota a RINO (Republican In Name Only).
As we’ve said before, LaLota can’t be both a “MAGA extremist” and a “RINO” simultaneously. We’re inclined to believe he’s neither. We’re sympathetic towards our Democratic friends that Suffolk money and Suffolk roots were not prioritized by party leadership in their nominating contest this year.
