Black Hawk pilot launches challenge to battleground House Republican Nick LaLota
He's got a rocky road ahead. Gallant, 36, will face a two-term House Republican who defeated his last Democratic opponent by more than 10 points. LaLota and his predecessor, Lee Zeldin, now the administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency, have held eastern Long Island for Republicans since 2014. LaLota had a $1.7 million campaign war chest at the end of June, according to his most recent federal filing.
Democrats are hoping the path to winning control of the House in 2026 will run through New York's suburbs. They want to topple LaLota on Long Island and Rep. Mike Lawler in the Hudson Valley, though both are formidable incumbents. The party is also defending four districts held by Democrats, including Reps. Laura Gillen and Tom Suozzi on Long Island.
LaLota bested his 2024 Democratic challenger, former CNN host John Avlon, by attacking the Democratic Party at large as too woke and portraying Avlon as a wealthy outsider, tagging him in news releases with the label (D-Manhattan).
Gallant, by contrast, describes himself as a 'blue-collar guy' born and raised in Suffolk County. Both he and LaLota live just outside of the boundary of the 1st Congressional District. But the Democrat's upbringing, he said, helps him understand first-hand the cost-of-living crisis facing many Americans.
'I came back from a deployment from '22 to '23,' Gallant said of his time in the Middle East. 'I went away and was able to fill a grocery cart for $150 and came back and can hardly fill a grocery bag for $150, so it's terrible.'
LaLota is seeking a third term in a district that Cook Political Report does not yet include on its list of competitive races. Lawler's seat, in contrast, is ranked 'lean Republican.'
The GOP incumbent is confident about his reelection prospects. The Navy veteran, who previously was chief of staff to the Suffolk County Legislature, like other blue-state Republicans, is touting a state and local tax deduction cap increase as a hard-fought victory this year.
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