Cover credit – Matt Meduri
Congressman Nick LaLota
Candidate: Nick LaLota
Residence: Amityville
First Elected: 2022
Prior Elected Office: Trustee Village of Amityville from 2013-2019
Office Sought: New York’s Second First District
Party Lines: Republican, Conservative
Committees: Small Business (Chair of Contracting & Infrastructure Subcommittee; Economic Growth, Tax, & Capital Access Subcmte.); Armed Services (Cyber, IT, & Innovation Subcmte; Tactical Air & Land Forces Subcmte.); Homeland Security (Emergency Management & Technology Subcmte.; Transportation & Maritime Security Subcmte.)
Endorsements: Suffolk PBA, Suffolk Corrections Officers, Suffolk Deputy Sheriffs, Suffolk Superior Officers, Suffolk Detective Investigators, Police Conference of NY, IAFF Local 854, NSBCTC, NASRCC Local 290, TWU Local 252, Suffolk AME, IUOE Local 138, Plumbers Local 200, NFIB, U.S. Chamber of Commerce, Republican Jewish Coalition
Nick LaLota won a three-way primary and would go on to defeat then-Suffolk County Legislator Bridget Fleming (D-Noyac) by over ten points in 2022 to succeed Long Island’s favorite son Lee Zeldin (R-Shirley). Now, LaLota is gearing up for a second term. LaLota is being challenged by former CNN anchor John Avlon (D-Gramercy Park), whose NYC residency questions were exclusively reported by The Messenger in April. After numerous attempts at contact, Mr. Avlon did not return our request for an interview.
Congressman LaLota sat down with The Messenger for an interview for this candidate spotlight.
Q: What is your professional background and how does it equip you for Congress?
A: My passion for service is somewhere in my blood. My father was a police officer and both of my grandfathers were NYPD officers. My stepfather served in the Navy and my brother served twenty years in the Marines with deployments to Afghanistan and Iraq. He was a Marine sniper who earned a Bronze Star for valor. I graduated from St. Anthony’s High School, and later, the U.S. Naval Academy, where I served three overseas deployments. I came home and got involved in state and local government. I worked as an aide to the State Senate and Congress on Veterans’ affairs.
I served for seven years as a Suffolk County Board of Elections Commissioner, from 2015 to 2021. I was also Chief of Staff to the Suffolk County Legislature for one year (2022).
Q: What are some of your accomplishments for NY-01, New York, and the nation overall?
A: For the district, I’ve secured almost $150 million of federal money for Long Island, including $1.4 million for flooding and water quality issues in Smithtown and $1.5 million for the Port Jefferson Harbor. We’re looking forward to doing even more. The Long Island Sound Reauthorization Act secured $40 million for both water quality and economic development and to improve the Long Island Sound’s ecology and our fishing industry. We passed other bills on the small business committee to make it easier for small businesses to apply for grants and regulations. My “No Bailout for Sanctuary Cities” Act aims to reverse some of New York City’s sanctuary policies.
Something I’ve continued from Congressman Zeldin’s tenure is working to preserve Plum Island. Preserving Plum Island has been a decades-long bipartisan endeavor to ensure it is free from development in perpetuity. It’s fortunate that it’s something that has a lot of bipartisan and bicameral initiative. There are many community groups carrying that ball. A lot of folks want to ensure Plum Island remains undeveloped and beautiful for future generations to enjoy.
Q: What is your top priority if re-elected?
A: SALT, SALT, and SALT. That is my biggest objective. We’re fortunate to have gotten commitments from Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R, MO-08), former President Donald Trump (R-FL), and many of my colleagues who want to provide Long Islanders tax relief. I give credit to Congressman Andrew Garbarino (R-Bayport) and Anthony D’Esposito (R-Island Park) for being solid allies and steadfast in their commitment to a higher cap. We’re not going to stop there.
Border security is also a top priority. We need to fight these sanctuary city policies. The free healthcare hotels being given to migrants is simply unsustainable and unaffordable. Governor Kathy Hochul (D) has spent $5 billion on the Boroughs with this problem. She’s tried taking money from infrastructure and schools and raising taxes. From a federal perspective, I want the Senate to take up my “No Bailout for Sanctuary Cities” act in the next Congress to give New York the financial incentive to stop the nonsense.
President Trump and I have both endorsed each other and I think that he is the right person to put America back on the right track, certainly with respect to our border and economy.
Q: What would you consider to be the defining issue of this election?
A: Telling the truth. In order to fix problems, you need to understand and admit what they are. Biden broke our border, I’m the only candidate in this race who can admit that. The rampant spending in Washington has fueled inflation; I’m the only candidate in this race who can admit that. The weakness of the Biden Administration has internationally catalyzed the situations in and around Ukraine and Israel. With respect to where we live, I’m the only one who can tell the truth about where I live. My opponent perpetuates the lie about abortion being federally banned. It’s simply not on anyone’s agenda and I don’t support such a plan. My opponent supports men playing in girls sports and raising middle class taxes. He says “in” Long Island, not “on” Long Island. It’s bizarre how disconnected he is and yet, he wants to lie to us when he’s not here.
Q: You’re consistently ranked as one of the most bipartisan members of Congress. Some people in the district feel you’re not conservative enough.How would you defend your record?
A: I’m a common sense conservative who likes to get things done. My ideology is one of smaller government, personal responsibility, strong on national defense, and lower taxes. If you want to get a bill passed, you need to be able to compromise a little bit and I recognize that. I’ve been reaching across the aisle to ensure I can enact common sense legislation.
Q: What is your defense of concerns about your residency in NY-01?
A: My living seven miles outside the border hasn’t prevented my ability to represent the district. I’ve had more bills passed than 95% of the House has and I’ve secured $150 million in grant funding for the eight towns I represent. I have attended countless public events, held hundreds of events, and had over 600 constituent meetings in Washington. I am undeterred in my commitment to where I have served for the last ten years, two in Congress, seven as Elections Commissioner, and one for the Legislature. I have represented 100% of this district and I will continue to do so.
Q: What is your favorite quote, motto, or work ethic?
A: “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” – Teddy Roosevelt
It’s inspirational to me and provides a good perspective. This quote hangs on my wall in my Washington office.
Q: How do you like to connect with your community?
A: I love to grab a slice of pizza in all different parts of the district. We’re always trying new pizza places. It’s an opportunity to enjoy good food and good conversation with locals in all eight different towns.
The Messenger thanks Congressman LaLota for his time for this interview.
About the First District
NY-01 contains the entire townships of East Hampton, Riverhead, Shelter Island, Smithtown, Southampton, and Southold. It contains most of Huntington, all parts except Cold Spring Harbor, Halesite, Huntington hamlet, Huntington Bay, Huntington Station, and Lloyd Harbor. Within the Town of Brookhaven, NY-01 contains Stony Brook, Setauket, Old Field, Strongs Neck, Poquott, Port Jefferson, Port Jefferson Station, Mount Sinai, Terryville, Lake Grove, Lake Ronkonkoma, Farmingville, Selden, Centereach, Coram, Gordon Heights, Middle Island, Ridge, Miller Place, Sound Beach, Rocky Point, Shoreham, East Shoreham, Manorville, Calverton, Moriches, Center Moriches, East Moriches, and parts of Eastport, Yaphank, Holtsville, and Ronkonkoma.
