Should he seek a third term, Representative Nick LaLota of New York’s First Congressional District has a potential challenger. Chris Gallant, who describes himself as a veteran, air traffic controller, union leader, and volunteer firefighter, announced that he is running to represent the district as a Democrat.
“I’m not a career politician,” the Smithtown native wrote in an email announcing his candidacy on Tuesday. “But it’s impossible to ignore the dysfunction coming out of Washington. Petty squabbles, political infighting, and grudges between the two parties have left us with a system that just doesn’t work.”
Long Island residents, he wrote, “need a leader who will prioritize the people — someone who listens, leads with integrity, and delivers real results on the issues that matter most: housing, health care, and the cost of living.”
According to his campaign website, Mr. Gallant joined the New York Army National Guard at age 17, was deployed to Kuwait as an air traffic controller, and flew several missions overseas. According to a video on his campaign’s Instagram page, he joined the Federal Aviation Administration after returning from overseas and was eventually assigned to Kennedy International Airport. When the National Guard called him up again, he served another tour in the Middle East as a helicopter pilot.
“But what pisses me off is how politicians in Washington are too scared to do the right thing, especially Nick LaLota,” Mr. Gallant says in the video. “I have voted for both parties. I don’t care that he’s a Republican. I care that he doesn’t have the courage to stand up for Long Island families.”
He adds that he was “shocked,” upon returning to the United States, to learn that grocery prices had doubled and housing was unaffordable. “Both sides have failed to do their basic job: make life easier for regular people,” he said. “Every air traffic controller will tell you, Congress has had 20 years to upgrade our systems but has failed to act.”
“I’ve been openly gay in the military since just after Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell ended,” he writes on his campaign website, “and I’ve learned to speak plainly, hold the line, and back up what I say. I’ve also learned how to listen — and how to bring people with very different views to the table and actually make progress.”
John Avlon, the Democratic candidate in 2024, previously announced that he will not seek the party’s nomination in 2026, citing family obligations. Mr. LaLota prevailed in that race, winning with 55.2 percent of the vote. The Republican incumbent won the seat in 2022, after former Representative Lee Zeldin chose to run for governor of New York. Mr. LaLota defeated the Democratic candidate that year, Bridget Fleming, by 11 percentage points.
“I plan to run again at some point,” Mr. Avlon said on Tuesday, “but the kids need to be older. Running requires 110 percent.”
