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John Avlon wins 1st District primary

First-time political candidate John Avlon has defeated his Democratic primary opponent Nancy Goroff and is poised to take on incumbent Rep. Nick LaLota in November.

According to unofficial results from the Suffolk County Board of Elections, Mr. Avlon leads with more than 70% of total votes.

Mr. LaLota (R-Amityville) was elected in November 2022, winning the seat Republican Lee Zeldin had held since 2015. With Mr. LaLota’s first term set to end in January 2025, Mr. Avlon has his eyes set on turning this almost decade-long red seat blue on November 5.

New York’s 1st Congressional District encompasses the majority of Long Island’s East End communities, including Riverhead, Southold, Southampton, East Hampton, Shelter Island and the northern portion of Brookhaven.

Mr. Avlon is a former CNN commentator and prior editor-in-chief of The Daily Beast. He is also an author and presidential historian, according to his website. He was a speechwriter for former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani during his second term and in the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attacks. He also served as the Director of Speechwriting and Deputy Policy Director for Mr. Giuliani’s 2008 presidential campaign.

In the Democratic primary for Riverhead Town Justice, retired New York State Supreme Court judge William Condon came out victorious with 684 votes; incumbent Sean Walter received 431, according to the unofficial count on Tuesday night.

Mr. Condon, who lives in Aquebogue, was endorsed by the Riverhead Democratic Party in May to run against Mr. Walter in Tuesday’s primary. He served on the state court for 14 years and is a past president of the New York State Association of Supreme Court Justices. Among his more notable cases is the 2022 Supreme Court trial of ex-NYPD officer Michael Valva, who was found guilty and sentenced to 25 years to life in prison for the murder of his 8-year-old son, Thomas Valva.