NEW YORK — Democrats’ best bet to flip a Long Island House seat that’s been red for more than a decade looks great on paper.
Chris Gallant is a Black Hawk pilot, Army veteran, national guardsman, former air traffic controller and union leader and volunteer firefighter. He’s also a gay millennial, political newcomer and Long Island native.
Now, Gallant is looking to prove he can turn that stellar resume into a competitive political campaign. He’s launching a bid Tuesday to oust Rep. Nick LaLota and help the Democratic Party retake the House majority in 2026.
“My entire life’s been kind of grounded in service,” Gallant told POLITICO in an interview. “I’ve always placed the mission first throughout all of my careers, and I’m doing the same now. This is what I want to do to make Washington and government work again for the people.”
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.
“Congressman LaLota has won three straight elections by double digits,” LaLota campaign spokesperson Mary O’Hara said in a statement. “Now, with SALT quadrupled to deliver an average of $2,800 more to Long Island families and real border security, we’re on track for an even bigger win in 2026.”
Gallant is already attacking LaLota for voting for the GOP megabill that cuts federal funding for health care and other social services. And he raised alarms about Federal Aviation Administration staffing shortages blamed for some dangerous airport conditions, speaking as a former air traffic controller.
He steered clear of opining on President Donald Trump, Gov. Kathy Hochul or New York City Democratic nominee for mayor Zohran Mamdani — political lightning rods for different reasons in the state’s battlegrounds. It’s the safe route for a candidate who said he wants to hold ample town halls and seek Democratic, Republican and Independent votes from Long Islanders sick of partisan politics.
“NY-01 is my total focus,” Gallant said. “When it comes to the mayoral race in New York City, I think my goal is that whoever gets to win that race, just provide a safe environment for my constituents.”
