By Aidan Johnson and Samantha Rutt
Former CNN anchor John Avlon will face off against incumbent Congressman Nick LaLota (R) on Election Day, Nov. 5, after winning the Democratic primary for New York’s 1st Congressional District on June 25. Avlon garnered over 70% of the vote, with 19,026 votes in a landslide victory against opponent Nancy Goroff, former chair of the Department of Chemistry at Stony Brook University, who received 8,053 votes. There were 58 write-in votes.
The race saw its fair share of contentious moments, with Avlon and political action committees supporting him attacking Goroff on her loss in the 2020 congressional election against Rep. Lee Zeldin (R). Meanwhile, Goroff and PACs supporting her criticized Avlon on his past work for Republicans, including with former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
In a speech after the results, Avlon thanked his supporters and said the next stage of the campaign has started “right now.”
He also stated that it was important to reach out to independent and center-right voters, saying most Americans want “reasoning together over a common set of facts to solve the common problems we face.”
“I’ve always believed that politics is history in the present tense, and that this is our chance to write a new chapter of the American story,” he said.
In a statement, Goroff congratulated Avlon and called for Democrats to “come together to defeat Nick LaLota and flip this seat in November,” adding that Avlon will be “a commonsense voice for the people of Suffolk in Washington and a vast improvement over LaLota, who has proven to be far too extreme for this district.”
“The people of Suffolk deserve a representative who will work hard and find solutions to the major problems facing our community, and that is John Avlon,” she said.
Kassay triumphs
In the race for the state 4th Assembly District, Rebecca Kassay, business owner, environmentalist and former deputy mayor of Port Jefferson Village, garnered nearly 64% of the vote with 3,395, outpacing opponent Skyler Johnson, who received 1,909 votes. There were 11 write-in votes.
“In this pivotal moment for our communities and our government, I am grateful to have earned the trust of voters here in Assembly District 4,” Kassay said in a statement following the election announcement. “I am entirely committed to the tireless work required to lead our district and our state through unprecedented challenges. In the thousands of conversations at the doors of district residents, one thing was clear: People want their government to focus on delivering for their communities instead of being distracted by divisive politics-as-usual.”
Kassay congratulated opponent Johnson on his campaign.
“I commend Skyler Johnson and his team for their work energizing voters and engaging more residents in the important issues facing our communities. Primary elections can be divisive, and we are grateful to have shared a positive, message-based primary here in Assembly District 4.”
Johnson congratulated Kassay on her win and has since offered his support for her continued campaign.
“I’d like to congratulate Rebecca Kassay on her win. There is a lot at stake in New York – and all that matters is defeating anti-choice, anti-Democracy politicians in November. Rebecca has my full support in this mission,” Johnson said in a statement following the election results.
The primary elections have set the stage for a dynamic and competitive general election. Avlon’s decisive victory in the Democratic primary for the 1st Congressional District demonstrates a strong mandate from his party, positioning him to challenge LaLota in November. Avlon’s call for unity and outreach to a broad spectrum of voters highlights his strategy for the upcoming campaign.
Meanwhile, Kassay’s success in the 4th Assembly District primary reflects her commitment to addressing community concerns and fostering positive political engagement as she attempts to unseat incumbent Assemblyman Ed Flood (R-Port Jefferson).
As both Avlon and Kassay prepare for the next phase of their campaigns, their focus on commonsense solutions and effective leadership will be critical in their bids to represent the people of Suffolk County.
